The Most Important Thing in the Universe
by Wendi Jo Harper
Summary: Rose did not get pulled into the parallel world, but stayed with the Doctor where she belonged. So far includes all of season three and into season four. When you say goodbye to everything you know, you find a whole new life waiting for you. This is what the Doctor and his Rose offer their companions. But is this new life worth the pain and fear that comes with it? Rose/10
1. 0213 Doomsday

A/N: Obviously I don't own Doctor Who or the characters therein. Have you ever seen my name on the credits? Silly people. I just feel that Rose fit the Doctor so very well that she should have gotten to stay. So I took matters into my own deviant little hands and now she can!

(Picks up with the Doctor in the parallel world because that's where I want to start making changes.)

02-13 Doomsday

The Doctor pressed against the white expanse of wall in the parallel Torchwood, squinting as if trying to hear something. And he was, but Rose could not be heard here. Was she safe? Was she still alive? If they hurt her... Pete stood behind him.

"When you left this world, you warned us there'd be more Cybermen. So we sealed them inside the factories. "

The Doctor stepped away from the wall. He focused glumly on the man who was not his Rose's father.

Jake spoke in a rushed tone, "Except people argued. Said they were living. We should HELP them."

Pete gave a bit of a forced laugh. "And the debate went on. But all that time, the Cybermen made plans. Infiltrated this version of Torchwood, mapped themselves onto your world, and then vanished."

The Doctor nodded slowly. "When was this?"

Pete answered. "Three years ago."

"It's taken them three years to cross the void, but we can pop to and fro in a second. Must be the sheer mass of five million Cybermen crossing all at once..." the Time Lord rambled in his attempt to understand and fix the siuation. He had to fix it - he promised to take care of her.

"Yeah, Mickey said you'd rattle off that sort of stuff. "

He spun to look at the only Tyler living on this side, "Oh, where is the Mickey-boy?"

"He went ahead first. Any chance to go and find Miss Rose Tyler," Pete looked almost annoyed.

There was something the doctor could not understand. How anyone wouldn't want to find and be with Rose. To protect her. "She's your daughter. You do know that? Did Mickey explain?"

"She's not mine. She's the child of a dead man."

The two found themselves at the window, staring down at the scene below.

Pete nodded at the idyllic London. "Look at it. A world of peace. They're calling this 'The Golden Age'."

Seeming mildly curious at best, the Doctor asked, "Who's the President now?"

"A woman called Harriet Jones."

The Doctor exhaled slowly, raising both eyebrows and turning away. "I'd keep an eye on her."

Pete raised a hand to the glass. "But it's a lie. Temperatures have risen by two degrees in the past six months. The ice caps are melting. They're saying all this is gonna be flooded. That's not just global warming, is it?"

"No."

The man had a sense of finality in his voice when he spoke. "It's the breach."

The Doctor looked at him with severe irritation. How could some people be so thick?! Rose understood him! "I've been trying to tell you - travel between parallel worlds is impossible. Then the Daleks break down the walls with the sphere..."

Pete turned from the window. "Daleks?"

The Doctor continued on as though he hadn't spoken. "Then the Cybermen travelled across, then you lot - those disks - every time you jump from one reality to another, you rip a hole in the universe. This planet is starting to boil. Keep going and BOTH worlds will fall into the Void. And I won't let you condemn her to that."

If Pete noticed the last line, he didn't react. "But you can stop it - the famous Doctor...? You can seal the breach?"

The Time Lord gave him a withering look. "Leaving five million Cybermen stranded with my R-on my Earth."

He shrugged negligently. "That's your problem. I'm protecting this world, and this world only."

The would-be hero gave a short, forced laugh and looked at the man. "Hm... Pete Tyler... I liked you better when you were dead. Now here you are, fighting the fight... alone..." He stepped closer and lowered his voice. "You know why I can't just abandon them. There is a chance... back on my world... Jackie Tyler might still be alive."

The man recoiled. "My wife died."

"Her husband died. Good match."

Pete seemed to consider it, then shook himself. "There's more important things at stake. Doctor... help us."

"What? Close the breach? Stop the Cybermen? Defeat the Daleks? Do you believe I can do that?" the Doctor asked, backing away.

"Yes." There was absolutely no doubt in his voice. And it sounded like his Rose saying it.

He grinned. "Maybe that's all I need. Off we go, then!"

Buttons were pressed, and the Doctor, Jake and Pete appeared back in the world with two horrible enemies. The Doctor rushed to the phone.

"First of all, I need to make a phone call. You don't mind?"

Jake gestures to two of the soldiers. "You two, guard to door."

Jackie was running down the stairs when her phone rang. She answered breathlessly, not even caring who it was at this point.

"Help me! Oh, my God, help me!"

"Jackie, you're alive! Listen-"

"They tried to download me but I ran away!" she shouted at the Doctor.

"Listen, tell me - where are you?"

"I don't know! Staircase."

"Yeah, which one? Is there any- any sort of sign? Anything to identify it?"

"Yes! A fire extinguisher!"

"Yeah, that helps..."

She got a bit perturbed. "I'm trying! Oh, wait a minute - it says 'N3'."

"North corner, staircase 3. Just keep low, we're trying our best," the Doctor said sincerely. He was fond of Rose's mother, even if he pretended not to be.

"No, don't leave me!"

"I've gotta go, I'm sorry."

He put the phone down and turned to Pete, who watched him warily.

"Jacqueline Andrea Suzette Tyler. "

The man shook his head. "She's not my wife."

The Doctor merely smiled a bit. "I was at the wedding. You got her name wrong."

The Doctor walked over to Jake and took his gun off him.

"Now then, Jake-y boy, if I can open up the bonding chamber on this thing, it could work on polycarbide."

"What's polycarbide?" the younger man asked curiously.

"Skin of a Dalek."

A white sheet of A4 paper attached to stick to make a flag popped around the corner and waved comically. The Doctor followed a few seconds later, a less than serious look on his faced. At his "Sorry." the cybermen in the hall turned and stared at him with their cold, unfeeling eyes.

The Doctor shrugged and apologized. "No white flag. I only had a sheet of A4. Same difference."

One of the cybermen held his fist before him, ready to shoot. "Do you surrender?"

The man strode forward to meet the Cyberman, no expression on his face. "I surrender. Unto you." He stopped only inches from the mechanical being's face. "A very good idea."

If the cybermen knew the Doctor and had emotions, they would have been frightened. Because then the Doctor grinned.

In the sphere room, the Daleks backed away from the Genesis Ark. Rose and Mickey stood close, watching warily.

"Final stage of awakening."

The one called Sek faced Rose, pointing its weapon at her. "Your handprint will open the Ark."

She shook her head. "Well tough, 'cos I'm not doing it."

The weapon shifted aim to Mickey. "Obey or the male will die."

She immediately stepped toward the ark, glancing apologetically to her oldest friend. "I can't let them."

"Rose, don't," he pleaded.

"Place your hand upon the casket," the Dalek ordered.

The woman snapped at the metal monster. "All right!" She turned to the ark once more. "You're gonna kill us anyway, so what the hell?"

Before she can touch it, a thought seems to occur to her and she turns back to Dalek Sek. "If you um... escaped the Time War... don't you want to know what happened?"

Undeterred, the Dalek ordered again, "Place your hand-"

Rose interrupted. "What happened to the Emperor?"

The creature stated, as though there was no doubt."The Emperor survived."

She nodded, stringing him along. "'Til he met me... 'cos if these are gonna be my last words, then you're gonna listen. I met the Emperor. And I took the Time Vortex and I pulled it into his head and turned him into dust. Do you get that? The God of all Daleks... and I destroyed him."

Mickey stared at Rose as though she was some kind of alien he's never seen before. She didn't seem to notice as she gave the Dalek a gloating smile, and laughed.

The Dalek leader's eye stalk turned red as it shouted furiously, "You will be EXTERMINATED!"

"Oh now, hold on, wait a minute," a grim voice said softly from the doorway.

Everyone in the room turned to the doorway, the Dalek breaking the brief silence.

"Alert, alert - you are the Doctor."

Rose smiled with delight as the Doctor sauntered into the room wearing his 3D specs.

Another of Daleks spoke. "Sensors report he is unarmed."

He nodded in agreement. "That's me. Always."

Dalek Sek seemed smug. "Then you are powerless."

"Not me." The Doctor whipped his specs off with a flourish, smirking confidently. "Never."

He turned to Rose with a concerned look. "How are you?"

She couldn't have kept the grin from her face if she'd wanted to. "Oh, same old, you know."

He beamed proudly at her before turning to the other man in the room. "Good! And Mickity-McMickey! Nice to see ya!"

The two bumped fists as though they had always been the best of friends.

"And you, boss."

This seemed to make the Daleks furious. "Social interaction will cease!"

The leader addressed the Doctor. "How did you survive the Time War?"

"By fighting. On the front line," the Doctor intoned fiercely. For a moment, the centuries old Time Lord shone through his eyes, warring with the vulnerable man who needs Rose to be with him and safe at the same time.

Mickey turned, as if that was the first time he's heard of this. His gaze swung from the Time Lord to his friend, seeing their connection clearly.

The Doctor wasn't finished yet. "I was there at the fall of Arcadia. Someday I might even come to terms with that. But you lot - ran away!"

"We had to survive," the Dalek leader insisted.

The Doctor moved slowly closer to Rose, "The last four Daleks in existence. So what's so special about YOU?"

She spoke in a soft tone as soon as he was close enough. "Doctor, they've got names. And Daleks don't have names, do they? One of them said they—"

"I am Dalek Thay."

"Dalek Sek."

"Dalek Jast."

"Dalek Caan."

"So THAT'S it! At last... the Cult of Skaro. I thought you were just a legend," the Doctor exclaimed, sounding for all the world be pleased about it.

"Who are they?" the woman asked him.

The Doctor briefly touched her arm to comfort her, then turned and strolled around the Daleks. "A secret order. Above and beyond the Emperor himself. Their job was to imagine. Think as the enemy thinks. Even dared to have names. All to find new ways of killing." He finished with a certain amount of distaste.

Mickey gestured to the Ark. "But that thing, they said it was yours. I mean, Time Lords. They built it. What does it do?"

"I don't know. Never seen it before," the Doctor replied, glancing briefly at the casket.

"But it's... Time Lord," Rose murmured, just a bit confused.

"Both sides had secrets, dear Rose," he said, not even noticed the affection himself. Turning, he spoke to the Daleks. "What is it? What have you done?"

The Dalek leader announced. "Time Lord science will restore Dalek supremacy."

"What does that mean? What sort of Time Lord science? What do you mean?"

Rose answered, "They said one touch from a time traveller will wake it up."

The Doctor nearly laughed at that. "Technology using the one thing a Dalek can't do. Touch. Sealed inside your casing. Not feeling anything... ever... from birth to death, locked inside a cold metal cage." His voice dropped to a mere whisper. "Completely alone. And that explains your voice. No wonder you scream."

"The Doctor will open the Ark!" the Dalek called Sek screamed out.

The Doctor laughed contemptuously. "The Doctor will not."

"You have no way of resisting."

"Well... you got me there. Although... there is always this." He takes his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket.

"A sonic probe?"

"That's 'screwdriver'."

The Dalek seemed to sneer. "It is harmless."

"Oh yes. Harmless is just the word. That's why I like it. Doesn't kill, doesn't wound, doesn't maim. But I'll tell you what it does do - it is VERY good at opening doors."

He activated the screwdriver, and immediately, the doors exploded inwards. Jake, his men, and the Cybermen leapt into action, firing their guns at the Daleks.

"Delete! Delete! Delete! Delete!"

"Alert! Casing impact, casing impact!"

The Doctor and Rose flung themselves to the ground, trying to avoid the guns. He looked at her with a certain amount of desperation.

"Rose, get out!"

Nodding, Rose made for the door but stumbled after just a short distance.

"Fire power insufficient! Fire power insufficient!"

Pete was there, helping Rose to her feet – she was surprised to see him but obviously there was no time for him to explain. They made for the door, Rose shooting a look back at the Doctor. Mickey snatched up a gun and started firing wildly.

The cybermen were still screaming. "Daleks will be deleted. Delete! Delete!"

The Doctor managed to scramble to Rose and Pete where they stood in the doorway, out of harms way.

Rose screamed back at her friend. "Mickey, come on!"

"Adapt to weaponry!" one of the Daleks shouted.

The Dalek leader primed its weapon. "Fire power restored!"

The Dalek fired once at a Cyberman, immediately destroying it. Jake managed to reach the door - but Mickey lost his footing and accidentally placed his hand upon the Genesis Ark, leaving a red hot mark there as he dashed for the door. Regaining his balance, he ran like mad for the door.

"Cybermen primary target."

Mickey winced in pain as he looked at his hand, his palm burnt and bright red. The rest of Jake's men managed to slip through the door before it closed, sealing both the Daleks and the Cybermen inside.

The Doctor grabbed Rose in a fierce hug, so glad to see her alive. When he let go, he still held tightly to her hand. "Jake, check the stairwell. The rest of you, come on!"

The group split, Jake and the other men headed to the stairwell, while Pete, Mickey, Rose and the Doctor ran down a corridor.

Mickey apologized, "I just fell, I didn't mean it!"

The Doctor shook his head. "Mickey, without us, they'd have opened it by force. To do that, they'd have blown up the sun. You've done us a favour!"

He kisses the top of Mickey's head, and the other man pulled away.

"Now, run!" the Doctor encouraged.

They ran through the building, around corners and finally they came upon two Cybermen, guns pointed at something down the hall.

The cybermen shouted at their target, "You will be upgraded."

The voice of Jackie whimpers, "No, but you can't! Please—"

The cybermen were shot from behind - falling to the ground, dead, and revealing Pete Tyler aiming a gun at the space where they stood. Just behind him, a bit surprised at his speed in gunning down the woman's assailants are the Doctor, Rose and Mickey. Jackie squints through the smoke clouding her, uncomprehending, then her eyes widen as she realises...

"Pete!"

Rose's hands cover her mouth, touched and bemused by this meeting of her "parents". After a breath, she turned to the Doctor who held out a hand to her. She took it with a soft smile. Really, she knew that there was nowhere in the universe that she belonged if he wasn't there with her.

"Hello, Jacks," Pete murmured.

Jackie blinked, whining a bit even with her eyes shining hopefully. "I said there were ghosts, but that's not fair. Why him?"

He smiled a bit. "I'm not a ghost."

"But you're dead. You died twenty years ago, Pete."

The doctor stepped forward tentatively in an attempt to explain. "It's Pete from a different Universe. There are parallel worlds, Jackie. Every single decision we make creates a parallel existence, a different dimension where—"

"Oh, you can shut up," she said dismissively, still staring at the only man she ever loved.

And for once, the Doctor does just that, stepping back into the background and pulling Rose a bit closer. Mickey saw them and nodded to himself. He knew, and he wouldn't even try to come between them, he knew that they needed each other. Pete smiled even broader at Jackie.

"Oh... you look old," the woman said, stepping closer.

"You don't," he answered easily.

"How can you be standing there?"

"Just got lucky... lived my life. You were left on your own. You didn't marry again, or...?" He didn't want to admit that he cared about her answer.

She shook her head, a bit sadly. "There was never anyone else."

The Doctor and Mickey share a look, both happy for the woman who had cowed them both on various occasions.

"Twenty years, though. Look at me - I never left that flat. Did nothing with myself," Jackie lamented.

"Brought HER up. Rose Tyler," Pete nodded toward the woman at the Doctor's side.

Rose blushed, ducking her head as the Doctor and Mickey smiled at her.

"That's not bad," the older man admitted.

Jackie whispered, "Yeah."

Pete shifted, "In my world, it worked. All those daft little plans of mine. They worked. Made me rich."

Rose's mother shook her head. "I don't care about that… How rich?

"Very."

She tipped her head. "I don't care about that. How very?"

Pete laughed. Rose rolled her eyes and buried her head in the Doctor's arm as he smiled fondly.

"Thing is though, Jacks, you're... you're not my wife. I'm sorry, but you're not. I mean, we both..."

Jackie nodded. He stared at her, fighting it. Would it really be so awful? So wrong?

"You know, it's just sort of..." He startedwalking toward her. "Oh, come here."

They ran to meet each other, Jackie starting to cry. Pete swept her off the ground in a huge hug. Watching only a moment longer, the doctor urged them on.

After a moment, he turned and ran back, wrenching open the door to where the battle between the Cybermen and the Daleks is taking place. He peered into the lab, waiting for the right moment to enter. He dove into the room, watched anxiously by Rose who winced every time a beam passed near him. The Doctor snagged two of the magnaclamps, using them to deflect the rays from himself. He made it back to the door with them, dodging the beams. He tripped over a Cyberman's body and sprawled on the floor.

Rose reached toward him, whispering desperately, "Come on, please."

The Doctor quickly jumped to his feet and slipped through the door to safety. Rose closed it after him, exchanging a significant look. After a few moments of looking into her eyes, he slips the glasses back onto his face and opens again, and peers around wearing the 3D specs.

The Dalek leader screamed. "Override roof mechanism."

The roof began to open slowly.

"El-ev-ate."

Rose tipped her head. "What're they doing? Why'd they need to get outside?!"

The Doctor shook his head, trying to think. "Time Lord science- WHAT Time Lord science?" He pulled the specs off and stared. "What is it?"

Dalek Sek elevated through the ceiling into the open air with the Ark. The pair shut the door and exchanged a worried look. They sped back down the corridor, the Doctor shouting to the others as he moved.

"We've gotta see what it's doing, we've gotta go back up! Come on! All of you! Top floor!"

"That's forty-five floors up! Believe me, I've done 'em all," Jackie hollered back.

Jake popped his head out of the lift. "We could always take the lift..."

When the Doctor and the others finally stepped out of the lift on the top floor and rushed to the window, the Doctor pausing to dump the magnaclamps down on Yvonne's desk as he goes. As the Genesis Ark spins, Daleks shoot out of it, more and more of them. The Doctor stared in horror, instinctively reaching for Rose who's already pressing herself to his side.

He murmured in horrified tones, "Time Lord science... it's bigger on the inside."

"Did Time Lords put those Daleks in there? What for?" Mickey asked.

"It's a prison ship."

Rose looked up at him. "How many Daleks?"

"Millions."

Pete shook his head as the Daleks and cybermen began open warfare on the street, taking no note of the humans running in terror and walked away from the window. "I'm sorry, but you've had it. This world's gonna crash and burn. There's nothing we can do. We're going home. Jacks, take this."

He tossed her one of the yellow buttons. She stared at it for a heartbeat, then looked back at him incredulously.

"But they're destroying the City!" she cried.

He smiled at her, obviously affectionate. "I'd forgotten you could argue."

He looped the button around her neck himself and continued. "It's not just London, it's the whole world."

He took her face in his hands, making her look at him. "But there's another world, just waiting for you, Jacks. And it's safe. As long as the Doctor closes the breach. Doctor?"

The Doctor turned from the window with his 3D specs on and a big grin.

"Oh, I'm ready. I've got the equipment right here. Thank you, Torchwood!"

The Doctor dashed to a computer and began working. "Slam it down and close off both universes."

A computerized voice spoke, "Reboot systems."

Rose shook her head. "But we can't just leave. What about the Daleks? And the Cybermen-?"

The Doctor stood, smiling at her. "They're part of the problem. And THAT makes them part of the solution. Oh yes!"

Rose laughed nervously, not quite following.

He seems to be rather bouncy, excited about this even, but two people in that room could tell he was covering for something else. Something he would try to avoid saying. "Well?! Isn't anyone gonna ask? What is it with the glasses?"

Rose grinned at him. "What is it with the glasses?"

"I can SEE! That's what! 'Cos we've got two separate worlds, but in-between the two separate worlds, we've got the Void. That's where the Daleks were hiding. And the Cybermen travelled through the Void to get here! And you lot - one world to another, via the Void! Oh, I like that. Via the Void! Look!"

He pressed the glasses onto Rose's face.

"I've been through it. Do you see?"

He dodged about so Rose could see, with the aid of the glasses, that he was surrounded by floating green and red particles. She reaches out to try and touch them, but he took her hands.

The computer shouted again. "Reboot in three minutes."

He smiled at her. "Void stuff."

"Like um... background radiation!"

He hugged her. "That's it. Look at the others."

She turned to look at Jake, Mickey, Jackie and Pete. Jackie was the only one not surrounded by the 'Void Stuff'.

The Doctor pointed at them. "The only one who hasn't been through the Void - your mother. First time she's looked normal in her life."

Rose giggled even as her mother gave a shout. The Doctor dashed into the clear white area, Rose following.

"The Daleks lived inside the Void. They're bristling with it. Cybermen - all of them. I just open the Void - end of verse. The Void stuff gets sucked back inside."

She nodded, her enthusiasm beginning to match his. "PULLING them all in."

"Pulling them all in!" he repeated, beaming with pride.

"Sorry... what's- what's the Void?" Mickey finally asked, breaking into their conversation.

The Doctor turned, almost having forgotten the others were there. "The dead space. Some people call it 'Hell'."

Mickey looped his button around his neck. "So... you're sending the Daleks and Cybermen to Hell. Man, I told you he was good."

Rose had been looking around with the glasses. "But it's... like you said, we've ALL got Void stuff. Me too, 'cos we went to that parallel world."

She flexed her fingers, examining the particles floating around them and pulled the glasses off. The Doctor is there, standing before her.

"We're all contaminated. We'll get pulled in," she said to him, frowning now.

"That's why you've gotta go," he said slowly, staring at her sadly.

"Reboot in two minutes."

Rose gapes at him, uncomprehending. "No…"

"Back to Pete's world. Hey, we should call it that - 'Pete's World'. I'm opening the Void, but only on this side. You'll be safe on that side."

Rose continued to stare at him, not wanting to believe he would do that. Not wanting to believe he could.

"And then you close it. For good?" Pete clarified.

The Doctor still stares at Rose, wanting her to understand why he would do this to her. "The breach itself is soaked in Void Stuff, in the end it'll close itself. And that's it. Kaput."

She began to realize what this meant. "But… you're staying… on THIS side?"

Mickey shakes his head. "But you'll get pulled in."

The Doctor held Rose's gaze for a moment longer before he moves over to the magnaclamps. She didn't follow, watching him with an expression like she'd been slapped around the face.

"That's why... I got these," he said, careful to avoid her eyes now. "I'll just have to hold on tight - I've been doing it all my life."

"I'm supposed to go."

At her words he flinched, staring at the desk. "Yeah."

"To another world, and then it gets sealed off."

"Yeah."

It was obvious he didn't want to think about the idea, let alone discuss it. He moved to another of the computers and worked on it as well.

"Forever." Rose laughed at the absurdity of the idea. "That's not gonna happen."

A crash from outside shook the building, causing them all to look around in alarm.

Pete spoke briskly, "We haven't got time to argue, the plans works, we go in. You too. ALL of us."

Rose rounded on him angrily. "No, I'm not leaving him!"

Jackie shakes her head. "I'm not going without you, Rose."

"Oh, my God. We're GOING," Pete declared, sounding like the husband and father he'd spent the day denying he was.

"I've had twenty years without you, so button it. I'm not leaving her," Jackie snapped.

Rose goes to her mother. "You've GOT to."

"No."

"Mum..."

"Reboot in one minute."

Rose's voice trembled with suppressed tears as she spoke in soft tones, "I've had a life with you for nineteen years. But then I met the Doctor and... all the things I've seen him do for me. For you. For all of us. For the whole... stupid planet and every planet out there. He does it alone, mum."

Behind her, the Doctor watched her with terrible sadness in his eyes as he silently took a button on a chain out of his pocket.

"But not anymore. 'Cos now he's got me."

She turned, blinking as the Doctor looped the chain around Rose's neck.

"What're you-?"

Pete quickly pressed his button. They all disappeared, leaving the Doctor alone and gazing at the place Rose was with a heavy heart. He wanted her safe. Above everything, even his own life. And there was one way to be sure of it. He turned back to the computers.

The others reappeared in the parallel Torchwood. Rose looking around wildly.

She muttered under her breath, thinking quickly. There was almost a faint glow about her as she assessed her situation. "Oh no you don't. He's not doing that to me again."

She looked at the soldiers, noting two had what looked like climbing ropes. "I'll need those ropes," she said briskly before moving to her mother.

"I'm not staying, mum. I can't. I'll die in this world. You know I will. I need to be with the Doctor."

"But… you're so young," her mother said weakly.

Rose nodded. "I am, but I'm part of him now. You know what he has to do, and you know he needs someone with him."

"Why does it have to be you?" Jackie asked, tears spilling down her cheeks.

"Because he loves her," Mickey answered, handing Rose the ropes. "And she loves him. That's the way it is."

He hugged his friend goodbye. "Go to him, Rose. I'll look after your mum. The boss needs ya."

Rose hugged him, then her mother. With one last, brave if tearful smile, she pressed down on the button.

"I think this is the on switch..."

The Doctor starts whirling around. "Rose?!"

He grabbed her roughly by the shoulders, stooping slightly so he could look straight into her eyes.

"Once the breach collapses, that's IT. You will never be able to see her again. Your own mother!"

She answered calmly, although her voice trembled from still unshed tears. "I made my choice a long time ago, and I'm never gonna leave you."

The Doctor stared at her for a moment, stunned. Slowly he released his grip.

"So what can I do to help?" she prompted.

"Systems rebooted. Open access."

Rose stubbornly held the Doctor's gaze. With a she, he finally accepted that she wasn't going to leave. He pointed to a computer.

"Those co-ordinates over there, set them all at six."

Rose did as she was told. He watched her walk to the computer, sounding almost angry when he spoke. "And hurry up."

Rose leaned over the computer, taking her button from around her neck and glancing at the Doctor nervously. Had she misjudged his feelings? The readings on the screen distracted her.

"We've got Cybermen on the way up," she told him.

He ran to her side, looking at the screen. "How many floors down?"

"Just one."

The screen showed the Cybermen marching up the stairwell. They watched for a brief moment, shocked when a cyberman that sounded a lot like the former director of Torchwood aimed at the advancing troops. It fired at the oncoming cybermen, stating that it did it's duty for Queen and country. The Doctor moved away, tapping in a command on the laptop.

"Levers operational."

The Doctor grinned up at Rose.

She cheered at his look, "That's more like it, bit of a smile! The old team...!"

He picked up a magnaclamp and walked to her. "Hope and Glory, Mutt and Jeff, Shiver and Shake!"

"Which one's Shiver?"

"Oh, I'm Shake."

He dumped the Magnaclamp in her arms. She pulled one of the ropes from around her.

"So we don't have to worry if it's hard to hang on," she said, meaning much more than the words she's using.

Silently, he took the rope and nodded, swallowing thickly. There's so much he needs to tell this woman, but this is not the time or place. He looked at her and she nodded, once again understanding him far better than anyone has in his life thus far. He gave a bit of a smile, and next moment, they've both attached them to the wall next to the levers on opposite sides of the room, tying themselves securely to their clamps.

"Press the red button."

Rose obeyed, trusting him. What else could she do? Outside they could see the Daleks beginning to head for the building.

The Doctor began to speak very fast, "When it starts, just hold on tight. Shouldn't be too bad for us but the Daleks and the Cybermen are steeped in Void Stuff. Are you ready?"

They got into their positions beside the levers.

She nodded at the window. "Yes, and so are they."

The Daleks were just outside the window.

"Let's do it!"

They pushed the levers upwards and then hurriedly took hold of the magnaclamps.

"Online."

The area was filled with the white light once more, but this time, there was also the sound of a strong wind. The Daleks were sucked through the window, smashing through the glass as they were pulled into the white light and back to the Void. Rose and the Doctor held their clamps tightly, struggling to maintain their hold.

The Doctor shouted triumphantly, "The breach is open! Into the Void! Ha!"

Rose smiled across at the Doctor as they are billowed by the wind. He had done it again, saved them all. Suddenly, there was a small explosion of sparks and the lever on Rose's side moved back into the 'off' position. The smiles fade from their faces.

"Offline."

Rose took one hand from the clamp. "I've got to turn it on!"

"Be careful!" the Doctor exclaimed, his hearts frozen in fear as she removed her hand.

The suction was starting to ease. Rose reached for the lever whilst trying to maintain her grip on the clamp, but it was just slightly too far away. She strained to reach it, eventually falling onto it. The Doctor watched, full of dread. Rose whimpered as she struggled with the lever.

"I've gotta get it upright!" she insisted.

She pushed the lever upwards, groaning with the effort, and finally, she managed to push it upright. The Doctor watched with his heart in his mouth.

"Online and locked."

The suction increased once more. But now, Rose had nothing to hold on to but the lever.

The Doctor felt his hearts plummet and shouted in desperation, "Rose, hold on!"

But the Void pulled at her, making it near impossible for her to keep her grip. She winced and cries out with the effort, trying so hard to keep holding.

"HOLD ON!" the Doctor screamed, fully panicking.

Rose moaned, her strength almost spent - the Doctor stared at her in absolute terror, horribly powerless, reaching out to her in vain. With one last cry, Rose's grip finally slipped. She was pulled inexorably towards the Void, crying out. The Doctor screamed her name as she was pulled away from him.

Then, the rope snapped taut, catching her around the middle. She gasped, winded, but retained her senses enough to grab the rope like the lifeline it was. The breach began to close itself, sucking in the remainder of the two armies. When the wall sealed, Rose fell to the floor, still tied to her clamp and gasping for her next breath.

He thought his hearts would stop as he fought against the rope and rushed across the room to her. But there she was, his Rose, laying on the floor, panting miserably and unable to rise with the shock of what had happened, but beautifully there.

"R-rose?" he finally managed, tearing the rope from around her stomach.

She pushed herself to her hands and knees, then sitting up, looking around. "Oh, Doctor. We did it!"

He grinned like the madman that he kind of was, and swept her up in a crushing hug. It was a miracle! It was more than a miracle. It was his wonderful, humanly perfect Rose.

"I'm getting entirely too spoiled by you coming back when I tell you not to and saving my life," he told her, laughing with only a few tears mixed in.

"I told you, Doctor," she said, holding him just as tight. "I'm staying with you forever."

He sighed happily, as happy as he had ever been. Now... if he could only figure out a way to get past the fear of losing her... or of watching her grow old. But those were not this day's problems.

"Doctor," Rose murmured after a moment of being held. "Should we really be here when they come to see what's happened?"

He stepped back and beamed at her. "Oh, most likely not. Shall we go home?"

The Doctor couldn't help but notice how his hearts sped at the brilliant smile she gave him when he said that phrase. He took her hand and the pair ran laughing to the TARDIS.

Later, the Doctor landed the TARDIS right in what had been Jackie's living room. With Rose taking some time to go through her mum's place, it gave him a chance to scans for other breaches. If he found them, they'd have to be closed, but he had a plan to help Rose. She'd given up a lot to return to him. Everything. She had absolutely no ties to her home planet now.

Finally, things had been sorted, and that which meant something special to his dearest companion had been loaded into the TARDIS. She sat in his captain's chair as he set a course in the console.

"We can tell them goodbye, Rose. One shot. But… if it would help…"

He'd never sounded quite so eager to please someone, it even sounded foreign to his ears. But for the first time in over an hour she looked up at him. Her hazel eyes were red rimmed and she nodded.

"I would like that, Doctor."

He moved over to her and held open his arms. It killed him to see her hurt. When she moved into his embrace, he pressed a kiss to her hair.

"I'll get you a chance, Rose. If it takes all I've got."

It was several weeks before he found the right spot, the right breach, the right power source, but between them, they finally managed to project themselves to the parallel world that her family now lived in. The landscape they projected to was a deserted, bleak beach. Pete, Jackie and Mickey stood by the water as Rose and the Doctor seemed to ghost into sight.

"Here I am."

The three turned, staring at the people barely in focus.

Jackie spoke first. "Where are you?"

The Doctor replied, "Inside the TARDIS. There was one little gap in the universe left, just about to close. And it takes a lot of power to send this projection, we're in orbit around a super nova.

Rose laughs softly, "We're burning up a sun just to say goodbye."

Mickey shakes his head. "You look like ghosts."

Rose looks at the Doctor.

"Hold on..." he said taking his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket. He pointed the sonic screwdriver at the console and somehow this strengthened their projection.

They now looked as solid as if they were really there. Jackie walked closer to them and raises a hand to touch Rose's face.

"Can I t-?"

The Doctor sighs regretfully, "We're still just an image. No touch. Believe me, Jackie, if I only could, I'd welcome a slap from you right now."

Mickey moved closer as well, though Pete hung back just a bit. "Can't you come through properly?"

"The whole thing would fracture. Two universes would collapse," Rose said. "Took me a bit to accept that too."

Her mother nodded and they watched each other for a few seconds before the Doctor looks around at their surroundings.

"Where are we? Where did the gap come out?"

Pete spoke up, "We're in Norway."

The Doctor nodded. "Norway. Right."

"About fifty miles out of Bergen. It's called 'Dårlig Ulv Stranden'."

Rose blinked in surprise. "Dalek?"

The man who looked so much like her father shook his head. "Dårl-IG. It's Norwegian for 'bad'."

The Doctor continued to stare at him, brow furrowed.

Pete shrugged. "This translates as 'Bad Wolf Bay'."

The Doctor and Rose share a look, laughing a bit at the irony of this, but sober almost immediately. Rose turns to her mother, then glances at the Doctor.

"How long have we got?"

"About two minutes..." he told her softly.

She almost laughed at the absurdity of this. "I can't think of what to say!"

The Doctor almost laughed too, but then looks over Jackie, Pete and Mickey.

"You're taking care of them, yeah Mickey?" One would think it was the Doctor's family there instead of Rose's.

Jackie nods, bumping her shoulder against the boy who's been like a son to her. "There's four of us now. Me, your dad, Mickey... and the baby."

Rose seems taken-aback. "You're not...?"

The Doctor looks at Jackie with a smile.

"Three months gone. More Tylers on the way," the woman said proudly, her hands on her stomach.

Time passed differently it seemed for them.

"I wish you two could be here, part of it," the pregnant woman said sadly.

Rose sighs. "Me too, Mum. But… this is where I belong, yeah?" Rose said with conviction, reaching down and lacing her fingers with those of the Doctor's.

He didn't speak, just looked down at her hand in his, finding it near impossible to form words around the knot in his throat.

Mickey nodded. "Yeah, Rosie. It is. Boss, you take care of our girl, now. You're the only one what knows how special she really is."

The Time Lord's voice is a bit husky as he answered, "I know, Mickey… I know. She's the most important thing in the universe…"

Rose looked between them in surprise, her gaze lingering on the Doctor who refused to look up.

Finally looking at her mother again, Rose decided to break the news of her so-called death. "You're dead, officially, back home. So many people died that day and you've gone missing. You're on a list of the dead."

Jackie began to cry quietly. "Are we ever gonna see you again?"

The Doctor answered, quietly, and so, so sorry, "You can't."

The small family all nodded silently. Rose studied them, memorizing each face, tears falling thick and fast.

"I love you all. So very much."

"We love you, honey," Jackie cried. "And you, Doctor. I don't care if you are an alien or a million years old –"

"Oi!" he laughed. "Only nine hundred!"

"Shut it," Rose's mother said, a small smile on her tear tracked face. "You're as good as a son to me, so don't go getting yourself killed now."

The Doctor smiled gratefully at Jackie, starting to say something in reply, but their time was up.  
The scene faded away into nothingness. He and Rose are left alone now. She screwed up her face against the pain, sobbing into her hands until he folded her into his chest, holding her tight. A few tears escaped him, and they remained locked together in that embrace for quite some time.

Finally, they silently agreed that they needed to move forward. Rose stepped out of the control room to wash her face, and the Doctor moved to the TARDIS console, pushing the buttons and levers as he walked slowly around it without a great deal less of his former enthusiasm. There was a strange sound in the room and he looked up, expecting to see Rose retuned.

Instead, he felt his eyes go wide with shock. Standing by the door, with her back to him, was a bride.

"What?" he choked out.

The bride turned around to see him standing there and yelped with surprise.

"What?!" he repeated, utterly confused.

She made a face at him."Who are you?"

He looked around, wishing Rose would come back and help him. "But—"

The bride shouted, "Where am I?"

"What?!" His vast vocabulary was wretchedly useless at this moment.

"What the hell is this place?" she shouted.

The Doctor did the only thing he could think of in this desperate situation. He turned to the door his dearest companion had gone out and shouted as loud as he could, "ROSE!"

(There we are, the ending I wish season two had actually had. Why didn't they think of using a rope to secure themselves? In all the stories I've read, I just can't help but wonder, why didn't anyone think of a rope? Anyway, I digress. Reviews are adored, and readers are lovely. Thanks for peeking in. I hope to have The Runaway Bride up soon.)


	2. 0214 The Runaway Bride

_Previously:_

_Finally, they silently agreed that they needed to move forward. Rose stepped out of the control room to wash her face, and the Doctor moved to the TARDIS console, pushing the buttons and levers as he walked slowly around it with a great deal less of his former enthusiasm. There was a strange sound in the room and he looked up, expecting to see Rose retuned. _

_Instead, he felt his eyes go wide with shock. Standing by the door, with her back to him, was a bride. _

"_What?" he choked out._

_The bride turned around to see him standing there and yelped with surprise. _

"_What?!" he repeated, utterly confused._

_She made a face at him."Who are you?"_

_He looked around, wishing Rose would come back and help him. "But—"_

_The bride shouted, "Where am I?"_

"_What?!" His vast vocabulary was wretchedly useless at this moment._

"_What the hell is this place?" she shouted._

_The Doctor did the only thing he could think of in this desperate situation. He turned to the door his dearest companion had gone out and shouted as loud as he could, "ROSE!"_

**-The Runaway Bride-**

He shook his head, staring at the woman like some kind of creature in a zoo. "You can't do that, I wasn't... we're in flight! That is- that is physically impossible! How did-?"

"Tell me where I am. I demand you tell me right now - where am I?" she points at him accusingly.

The Doctor was still staring at her incredulously. "Inside the TARDIS."

"The what?"

"The TARDIS."

"The what?"

"The TARDIS!" he shouted, wishing his Rose would come help him as he felt completely out of his element here. He turned back to the controls.

"The what?" the woman in the wedding dress nearly screamed.

He forced himself to be calm. "It's called the TARDIS. Rose! A bit of help then?"

She glared at him with a toss of her head. "That's not even a proper word. You're just saying things."

"How did you get in here?" he asked pointedly.

The bride went rigid, absolutely livid. "Well, obviously, when you kidnapped me. Who was it? Who's paying you? Is it Nerys? Oh, my God, she's finally got me back. This has got Nerys written all over it."

The Doctor watched her rant, looking her up and down with utter confusion. "Who the hell is Nerys?"

"Your best friend," she replied scathingly.

He finally registered that this woman seemed to have stepped off the pages of a bridal magazine. "Hold on, wait a minute - what're you dressed like that for?"

She sputtered for a bit before shrieking, "I'm going ten pin bowling. Why do you think, Dumbo? I was halfway up the aisle!"

The Doctor began to adjust his settings and check all the readings on the TARDIS whilst this unexpected passenger stalked around, ranting.

"I've been waiting all my life for this. I was just seconds away! And then you- I dunno, you drugged me or something!"

He looked up indignantly. "I haven't done anything!"

She whirled around, pointing at him again. "We're having the police on you! Me and my husband - as soon as he is my husband - we're gonna sue the living backside off ya!"

The Doctor didn't reply this time, engrossed in operating the controls. The woman finally noticed the doors and rushed over to them. The Doctor looked up in alarm, hurrying after her.

"No, wait a minute! Wait a minute! Don't-!"

But it was too late - she had already thrown open the doors and was now looking upon the super nova that they were still orbiting. Her mouth fell open slightly. The Doctor moved to stand next to her.

"You're in space," he explained gently. "Outer Space. This is my... space-ship. It's called the 'TARDIS'."

"How am I breathing?" she asked, hardly able to form the words.

"The TARDIS is protecting us."

Turning to look at him, she asked, "Who are you?"

"I'm the Doctor. You?"

"Donna."

He looked her over carefully. "Human?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Is that optional?"

He shrugged lightly, fighting a smile. "Well, it is for me."

Donna glanced around at him, but there wasn't much room for more surprise.

"You're an alien."

"Yeah."

She shivered. "It's freezing with these doors open."

So the Doctor slammed them shut and darted back to the console. This shouldn't have happened. He had to figure out what went wrong.

"But I don't understand it and I understand everything! This- this can't happen! There is no way a Human Being can lock itself onto the TARDIS and transport itself inside. It must be..."

Suddenly he was all energy - he grabbed an ophthalmoscope and used it to look into Donna's eyes, all the while muttering an endless flow of techno-babble. Donna seemed struck silent with confusion.

"Impossible. Some sort of subatomic connection? Something in the temporal field? Maybe something pulling you into alignment with the Chronon shell. Maybe something macro mining your DNA within the interior matrix. Maybe a genetic—"

She slapped him, right across the face.

He reeled back, effectively stopped. "What was that for?"

"Get me to the church!" she shouted.

He dropped the instrument and jumped to the controls. This woman was so completely different than his Rose. "Right! Fine! I don't want you here anyway! Where is this wedding?"

She waved her hands grandly. "Saint Mary's, Hayden Road, Chiswick, London, England, Earth, the Solar System."

Donna suddenly spotted a blouse slung over one of the railings. It's one of Rose's - the purple one she was wearing in 'New Earth'. She snatched it up and stalked toward the Doctor.

"I knew it. Acting all innocent. I'm not the first, am I? How many women have you abducted?"

"None that I know of," a blessedly welcome voice says with much amusement as Rose returns to the control room. "Honestly Doctor, I can't leave you alone for a moment. Hello there."

The Doctor snatched Rose's shirt from Donna, irrationally not wanting her to touch it and looked to his companion with a fair amount of desperation. Rose smiled at him comfortingly and came to his side. The Doctor looked away, a bit embarrassed at how much better he feels just for that.

"Just take her home, Doctor," she said. "She's confused and frightened, and just wants what any girl wants, to marry the man she loves."

Donna stared at them for a moment, realizing this woman is here because she truly wants to be. Her heart melted a bit at the tender look in their eyes, but dammit! If she hadn't been snatched up, she might begetting her own tender look about now!

Finally, the Doctor spoke. "Right! Chiswick!"

Moments later, Donna alighted from the TARDIS - the right time, the right planet, but unfamiliar surroundings. She whirled and snarled at the alien.

"I said 'Saint Mary's'. What sort of Martian are you? Where's this?"

The Doctor stroked the TARDIS with concern, ignoring Donna completely now.

"Something's wrong with her..."

Rose took a breath and looked around. Seemed she wasn't feeling that wonderful herself. Donna rolled her eyes.

"It's like she's... recalibrating!" He rushed back into the TARDIS and over to the console. "She's definitely adjusting to something."

Donna was standing outside with her mouth open - she's finally noticed what she's stepped out of and how small it is in comparison to its interior. Rose opened her eyes and looked at the woman.

"Bigger on the inside," she said softly. "Yeah."

Donna wasn't listening - she was pacing around the outside of the TARDIS, feeling the walls in utter bewilderment.

From inside, they can hear the Doctor calling out to Donna. "Is there anything you know of that might have caused this? Anything you might've done? Any sort of alien contacts? I can't let you go wandering off in case you're dangerous. I mean, have you... have you seen lights in the sky? Or... did you touch something? Something- something different? Something strange? Something made out of a sort of metal or... who're you getting married to?"

All the while, Donna has completed her circuit of the TARDIS and popped her head back inside, as if to check whether she wasn't just imagining how big it was. Having confirmed this, she stumbled backwards, hands over her mouth. Rose puts a hand on her back.

"Deep breaths now, that's a girl," she murmured.

"Are you sure he's human? He's not a bit overweight with a zip around his forehead, is he?" the Doctor continued.

"Oh really, Doctor," Rose said, exasperated. "Donna is much too pretty to be stuck with a Slitheen!"

The strangeness of it all was too much for Donna - she turned and sprinted away. The Doctor and Rose chased after her, worried about her.

Catching up rather quickly (as they were quite used to running) they fell into step beside her.

"Donna," the Doctor said softly, trying to apologize.

"Leave me alone. I just want to get married."

"Of course you do,"Rose commisserated. "He's rubbish at communicating. He's just trying to figure out what happened to you, so it doesn't happen again."

He shot the blonde woman a quelling look before speaking. "Come back to the TARDIS."

Donna shook her head adamantly. "No way. That box is too... weird."

"It's... bigger on the inside, that's all."

"Oh! That's all?" She sighed exaggeratedly and checks her watch. When she spoke again, there was a hint of tears in her voice. "Ten past three. I'm gonna miss it."

Rose was instantly trying to help. "You can phone them. Tell them where you are."

"How do I do that?"

"Haven't you got a mobile?" the Doctor asked, glancing at his Rose. Didn't all humans have those things?

Donna stopped dead in the street and stared at him. "I'm in my wedding dress. It doesn't have pockets. Who has pockets? Have you ever seen a bride with pockets? When I went to my fitting, do you think I said "Alison, the one thing I forgot to say is give me pockets"?!"

"He's alien, and male," Rose laughed, unable to stop herself. "He doesn't know how important a wedding is to us."

The Doctor looked between Rose and Donna, a gleam in his eye. Was a wedding important to Rose? Was she wishing she'd just settled down instead of going with him? Would she have married Mickey? Would she leave him to marry someone else someday? His hand sought hers with that thought, holding firmly. Even the idea of his Rose and someone else... hang on then. When had she become HIS Rose?

"... This man you're marrying - what's his name?" he asked to distract himself from the thoughts.

Donna stared into the air for a moment, the look in her eyes fair gone on the man in her thoughts. "Lance. "

"Good luck Lance. " he grinned at his companion, who nudged and shushed him.

"Rude again," she admonished him, fighting a grin.

Donna changed her manner with terrifying abruptness. "Oi! No stupid Martian is gonna stop me from getting married. To hell with you!"

She ran off again, hell bent on getting to her nuptials.

"I'm- I'm not... I'm not... I'm not from Mars," he protested weakly.

"Some of them don't get it," Rose reminded him. "But she's kind of our responsibility now, isn't she?"

He nodded reluctantly, and the pair ran after her. They found her several streets away, trying to hail a taxi.

The Doctor and Rose come up alongside her. The taxi, however ignored them and continued driving along.

Donna raged in frustration "Why's his light on?"

The Doctor pointed. "There's another one!"

He ran to try and catch it, Donna screaming at the driver. The three of them stumbled into the road in their effort to catch the driver's attention - but again, it just drove straight past. Twice more, they attempted to hail a cab, only to be ignored.

The Doctor, panting, looked at the woman in the bridal gown. "Do you have this effect on everyone? Why aren't they stopping?"

Rose elbowed him, but he thought it a fair question.

Confused, Donna shook her head. "They think I'm in fancy dress."

Another taxi drove past, the driver hooting his horn. "Stay off the scotch darlin'!"

"They think I'm drunk!" she moaned.

Two guys in their car yelled out of the window as they drove past. "You're fooling no-one, mate!"

"They think I'm in drag!" Donna shouted, horrified.

The Doctor looked Donna up and down appraisingly. Rose tugged his hand, as he still had hers firmly gripped.

"Don't comment on that," she warned him.

He winked at her. "Hold on, hold on."

He put his fingers between his lips and whistled, long and piercing, causing Donna to wince and cover her ears and Rose to cringe. However, it attracted the attention of a taxi, which ground to a halt before them. The Doctor, Rose, and Donna clamber in the back seat where the Doctor slipped an arm around Rose's waist, pulling her close. She was only too happy to lean against him.

Donna pointed out the windshield. "Saint Mary's in Chiswick, just off Hayden Road. It's an emergency, I'm getting married! Just... hurry up!"

The driver nodded complacently. "You know it'll cost you, sweetheart? Double rates today."

"Oh, my God!" Donna cried, not believing how bad her luck was. "Have you got any money?"

He blinked. "Um... no. And you?"

She gestured to her dress violently. "Pockets!"

The taxi screeche to a halt and they were booted out. The Doctor slammed the door looking a bit shocked at the driver and Donna who was finishing her returning insult.

"And that goes double for your mother!"

The taxi drove off, leaving the three standing.

"I'll have him." Donna fumed. "I've got his number. I'll have him. Talk about the Christmas Spirit."

Rose blinked, nudging the Doctor. "Is it Christmas?"

"Well, duh. Maybe not on Mars, but here it's Christmas Eve," Donna snapped.

"How come you're getting married on Christmas Eve?" the Doctor asked, placing a comforting arm around Rose, who realized she would not be seeing her mother on Christmas.

"Can't bear it. I hate Christmas. Honeymoon in Morocco. Sunshine - lovely," the red head prattled on, oblivious to the pair.

Rose pulled away from the Doctor, reaching in her pocket and holding her mobile out. "Call them."

Donna takes the phone, seeing the shadow in the other woman's eyes. "Is... is it long distance?"

She forced a smile. "Nah, just call. Doctor will get money for a taxi."

Grateful for the direction, he sprinted to the nearest cash machine. The man currently using it in front of him was being aggravatingly slow - so the Doctor hopped from foot to foot impatiently.

Donna moaned into the phone. "Ohh, answer the phone!" When there was no answer, she began to leave a message. "Mum, get off the phone and listening! I'm on my way, I dunno what happened... I'm at... Oh, my God- I dunno where I am! It's... it's a street. And there's WH Smith... but it's definitely Earth.

Rose looked over at the Doctor still waiting to use the cash machine, growing more agitated by the second. Finally the man in front of him left and the Doctor darted forwards, casting a furtive look about him before using his sonic screwdriver to retrieve cash from the machine. Distracted by him, the blonde laughed at his antics, not noticing Donna walk away and approach a woman at random on the street.

The Doctor retrieved the cash from the machine and turned back to Rose. His eye was caught by a row of masked Santa's playing trumpets a short distance away. He watched them for a moment drawing Rose's eyes to them as well. They remembered their last encounter with similar Santa's, and immediately their suspicions were aroused.

Donna called to Rose then. "Oi! Thanks for the phone! I'm going to the church!"

She tossed the phone to the other woman and climbed into the taxi and it drove away - the driver a masked Santa.

"Donna!" Rose shouted fearfully.

"Rose!" the Doctor yelled, racing toward her as the Santas lowered their weapons. The Doctor soniced the cash machine causing notes to fly everywhere and there was a mad scramble and mass confusion as people ran around trying to catch the money and stuff it into their pockets. Grabbing Rose, he ran back in the direction of the TARDIS.

Running to the console at full tilt, the Doctor pummeled the TARDIS into action with his usual equipment - namely his fists and a hammer. The rotor starts to rise and fall.

"Don't do that!" Rose admonished. "She hates it!"

"Not now, Rose!" he shouted.

Rose traced the taxi's progress on his monitor as the Doctor launched them after the kidnapped bride. "They're on the motorway."

"On our way!"

Sparks flew from the TARDIS console and it tilted dangerously as the chased after the taxi. The Doctor swore and thumped it again with the hammer.

"Behave!" he snapped.

Rose took over the controls as he ran to the door, throwing it open just beside Donna's taxi, zooming along beside it on the motorway. Donna stared at him, hands pressed against the window, absolutely not believing it.

"Open the door!" he shouted at her.

"Do you what?"

"Open the door!"

She yanked on the handle and shook her head desperately. "I can't, it's locked!"

The Doctor pointed the sonic at the door, enabling Donna to push the window down. Rose held the course.

"Doctor! She's really having a time keeping up!" the blonde woman called.

The kidnapped bride pointed at her driver. "Santa's a robot!"

"Donna, open the door," he said again, gritting his teeth.

"What for?" she exclaimed.

"You've got to jump!"

The robot driver turned his head slightly at the Doctor's words. He felt his stomach drop.

"I'm not bleedin' flip jumping, I'm supposed to be getting married!" the woman in the car protested.

The robot put his foot down and the taxi accelerated, leaving the TARDIS behind.

The Doctor called back to his companion. "Speed up Rose! We're about to lose her!"

She pushed the controls, making a pained face. There was a crash and Rose screamed as sparks fell over her.

"Rose!" the Doctor exclaimed, taking a step toward the console.

"Save Donna!" she shouted, making a few adjustments. The TARDIS banged the roof of the car of a distressed man before pulling itself back in line with the taxi.

Children in a nearby van were watching, muttering to each other excitedly. The Doctor barely noticed as he struggled to regain his balance, then he pointed the sonic screwdriver at the robot, disabling it.

"Listen to me - you've got to jump," he called to her, reaching out.

It was hard to tell if it was fear or sheer stubborn will keeping her in the car. "I'm not jumping on a motorway."

He growled in frustration. He needed to check on Rose. "Whatever that thing is, it needs you. And whatever it needs you for, it's not good. Now, come on!"

She shook her head. "I'm in my wedding dress!"

"Yes! You look lovely! Come on!" he shouted in exasperation.

Breathing heavily with fear, Donna opened the door and positioned herself ready to jump. The Doctor held out his arms to catch her. The children in the van were chanting 'jump! jump!'.

The redhead whimpered in fear, "I can't do it."

"Trust me," he said, calming for her sake.

"Trust him, Donna!" Rose shouted from her place at the controls. "Trust me! You can do this!"

Donna, with a scream, jumped and landed on top of the Doctor in a heap on the floor. Leaving the children cheering, the doors slammed closed and the TARDIS sped back up into the sky.

The Doctor quickly disentangled himself from the woman on the floor and rushed to Rose, taking over the controls and setting a nice, calm landing for them on a nearby building. Donna picked herself up and watched him tenderly inspect the woman where the sparks hit her.

"I'm okay, Doctor," Rose promised. "It just scared me a bit."

He nodded, wrapping his arms around her. "I'm sorry I yelled at you, Rose."

"We were all yelling, don't worry yourself."

The TARDIS thumped heavily onto the building it landed on and there was a massive bang from the console, which immediately began billowing thick black smoke.

"Everyone out!" the Doctor shouted, pulling his Rose to fresh air.

Donna looked at her watch as she exited onto the roof of a high rise. "It's just gone half three."

"The funny thing is, for a spaceship, she doesn't really do that much flying. We'd better give her a couple of hours. You all right?" he asked, keeping Rose pulled to his side as she seemed a bit green after the turbulent flight. He studied the sad face of the woman in the wedding dress.

"Doesn't matter," she replied with a shrug.

"Did we miss it?" Rose asked softly.

"Yeah."

"Well, you can book another date..." the Doctor said hesitantly.

"Course we can."

"Still got the honeymoon..." he tried again.

"It's just a holiday now."

Her answers were flat, her eyes veiled as she looked out at the city. Rose hugged the doctor and looked up at him. He couldn't resist the pleading in her hazel eyes.

"Yeah... yeah... sorry," he apologized, trying to think of a way to make Donna cheer up, as that would make Rose happier.

"It's not your fault."

Seeing an opportunity to rib her a bit, he grinned at the woman in white. "Oh! That's a change."

"Wish we had a time machine. Then we could go back and get it right," Donna sighed.

"Even if we did, we can't go back on someone's personal timeline," Rose said. "Trust us."

Donna gave them a suspicious glance before going to sit on the edge of the roof. The Doctor sat next to her, removing his jacket and draping it around her shoulders. Rose stood back a bit, staring at the TARDOS with an unreadable expression.

Donna plucked at the jacket. "God, you're skinny. This wouldn't fit a rat."

"Oh and you'd better put this on," he told her producing what looked like a wedding ring from his pocket.

"Oh, do you have to rub it in?"

She sounded so dismayed, even Rose's attention was pulled away. She blinked at the ring in confusion until the Doctor explained what it was.

"Those creatures can trace you. This is a bio-damper. Should keep you hidden." He slipped it onto her finger. "With this ring, I thee bio-damp."

"For better or for worse," Donna sighed.

The Doctor smiled encouragingly at her, then glanced back at Rose, the smile slipping a bit as she appeared less than pleased with the display. He would have asked if she was all right, but a question from Donna distracted him.

"So, come on then. Robot Santas - what are they for?"

He looked back at the woman they'd rescued. "Ah, your basic robo-scavenger. The Father Christmas stuff is just a disguise. They're trying to blend in. We met them last Christmas."

Rose made a noise, and then the Doctor was on his feet. He knew how hard this was on her, painful memory after painful memory dragged to the surface. Pulling her close again, he stroked her hair gently.

"What happened then?" Donna asked.

He gaped at her a moment. "... Great big spaceship? Hovering over London? You didn't notice?"

"I had a bit of a hangover."

The Doctor decided not to pursue the matter, instead he scanned the landscape.

With a nod toward where Jackie once lived, he said, "We spent Christmas Day just over there, the Powell Estate. With Rose's family… well, our… that is…"

He paused for a moment, lost in thought. Rose looked up at him, a sad smile on her face.

"I like that. Our family."

He nodded, a sigh escaping. He would have liked calling them family, it had been so long since he'd had one. "Still... gone now."

"Yes, gone now," Rose echoed.

Donna tipped her head at them. "What happened to them?"

Abruptly changing the subject, the Doctor said, "Question is, what do camouflaged robot mercenaries want with you? And how did you get inside the TARDIS? I don't know..."

He contemplated her for a long moment until Donna rolled her eyes.

He pulled his sonic screwdriver out of his jacket pocket. "What's your job?"

"I'm a secretary."

With a glance at Rose to assure himself she was all right, he moved closer and scanned the bride. "It's weird, I mean - you're not special, you're not powerful, you're not connected, you're not clever, you're not important..."

Donna jotted a look in the blonde's direction and asked, "Have you ever punched him in the face?

Rose laughed a bit, which drew a smile from the Doctor. Donna simply whacked the screwdriver aside.

"Stop bleeping me!"

"What kind of secretary?" he asked, not at all bothered to be yelled at.

"I'm at HC Clements. It's where I met Lance. I was temping. He made me a coffee, and no one makes the secretary coffee. We really hit it off, and began seeing each other. Even now, he makes me a cup of coffee every morning."

"That's really sweet," Rose murmured.

"When was this?" the Doctor asked.

"Six months ago."

"Bit quick, to get married..." he glanced at Rose for confirmation. "Isn't it?"

Rose shrugged. "Some people just know, Doctor."

Donna blushed. "Well... he insisted. And he nagged... and he nagged me... And he just wore me down and then finally, I just gave in."

Rose giggled, looking away when the Doctor shot her a look. Honestly, she'd never mentioned things like weddings and marriages, and domesticity until this woman blundered onto their ship.

… HIS ship!

Turning back to the accidental stowaway, he asked a bit more forcefully than he meant, "What does HC Clements do?"

"Oh, security systems, you know... entry codes, ID cards - that sort of thing. If you ask me, it's a posh name for 'locksmiths'."

He thought over that. "Keys..."

Donna sighed, standing and moving toward the roof access door. "Anyway, enough of my CV. Come on, it's time to face the consequences. Oh, this is gonna be so shaming. You can do the explaining, Martian-boy."

"Yeah. I'm not from Mars."

Donna shrugged and Rose smiled at him, slipping her hand into his. He gave her a bright smile back as the followed Donna.

"Oh, I had this great big reception all planned. Everyone's gonna be heartbroken…"

When they arrived at the hall, however, it looked as though everyone had decided to go on with the reception without the bride. 'Merry Christmas Everybody' blared out at full volume, everyone dancing, drinking, eating and laughing. Donna walked in with Rose and the Doctor, staring around at the merriment, thunderstruck. She folded her arms, feeling absolutely betrayed. Her mother spotted her first and froze - the rest of the room soon following suit until all was silent and all eyes were on the people in the doorway. The groom was the last notice, having been dancing with a leggy blonde in a flashy dress.

"You had the reception without me?" the intended bride said slowly.

"Donna... what happened to ya?" the groom asked desperately.

Her voice raised a notch. "You had the reception without me?"

There was an awkward pause.

The Doctor waved cheerfully. "Hello! I'm the Doctor, and this is my… well… Rose."

She waved cheerfully, not making any sort of reaction to his stumbled introduction. "Cheers!"

She turned to them. "They had the reception without me."

"Yes, I gathered," the Doctor said slowly.

"Well, it was all paid for - why not?" the leggy blonde sneered.

"Thank you, Nerys," the woman in white snapped.

Donna's mother stepped forward. "Well, what were we supposed to do? I got your silly little message in the end - "I'm on Earth"? Very funny. What the hell happened? How did you do it? I mean, what's the trick because I'd love to know—"

The whole room began talking at the same time until all Donna could hear was an incomprehensible babble of voices - so she burst into tears, at which their anger immediately melted into pity. Lance hugged her and she cried into his shoulder. Everyone applauded - and Donna winked at the Doctor and Rose through her fake tears. He smirked and squeezed his companion's hand.

The reception party continued as before, except now Donna had joined in with the dancing. The Doctor, leaned against the bar, and smiled slightly as he watched her. Rose wasn't far from him, several men around her, trying to get her to dance. She laughed at them, shaking her head. The Doctor tried not to yank her away from them, but it was quite hard to resist.

When had he begun feeling… jealous? Should he even?

Then she looked at him, and the light in her hazel eyes warmed him. As he held her gaze, she moved away from the others, back to his side. Always Rose did that. No matter where they ended up, or who else was around, she would leave everything just to be at his side. The idea was staggering. There was no way he could possibly be worth such devotion.

"Thinking deep thoughts?" she asked when she reached him.

"Not this time," he confessed, grabbing her hand. "You left your fan club behind."

She grinned at him. "I didn't know you were watching." At his scowl, she pressed against his side. "Oh, Doctor, relax." She leaned up and whispered teasingly in his ear. "They're much too young for me."

She was absurdly pleased at the smile that elicited.

"Rose, can I borrow your mobile?" he asked, abruptly changing the subject. It was amazing how clear his thoughts became when all was right between him and his Rose.

She nodded and handed it over. The Doctor, putting on his glasses, did a WAP search for H C Clements. He cast a furtive look around the room before using his sonic screwdriver to speed the process up - the result "Sole Prop. TORCHWOOD" displayed on the screen. The two exchanged a dark look before the Doctor closed the phone and tucked it into her pocket without thinking how intimate a gesture it really was. The music becomes more prominent as he watched the dancing. His eyes fell onto a couple dancing - the man threw the woman backwards over his arm and the Doctor was reminded briefly of the moment on New Earth when Rose fell into his arms after Cassandra left her body. He swallowed and pulled Rose to him, needing to reassure himself that she really was still with him.

"It's all right, Doctor," she murmured to him, not knowing what's going on in his head at the moment, but knowing he needed reassurance.

He noticed the cameraman in the corner, who is recording the proceedings, and pointed him out to her. They were at the cameraman's side moments later, watching as he put a tape in the camera to show the couple what had happened at the ceremony.

"I taped the whole thing - they've all had a look," the man explained. "They said "sell it to You've Been Framed". I said "more like the News". Here we are..."

He played the tape - the camera zoomed in on Donna's face as she seemingly disintegrated into golden particles with a scream. Rose jerked as though she were slapped and her eyes darted to the Doctor.

"Can't be! Play it again?"

"Clever, mind! Good trick, I'll give her that. I was clapping."

The Doctor watched the video again, brow furrowed incredulously. He glances at Rose, knowing exactly where he had seen that before.

"But that looks like... Huon Particles!"

"What's that?" the cameraman asked, clearly confused.

"Doctor…" Rose said softly, looking around the room.

He was a bit in thought, and didn't notice her. "That's impossible, that's... ancient! Huon energy doesn't exist anymore, not for billions of years! So old that..."

"Doctor…" she tried again.

His eyes were suddenly drawn to the ring/biodamper he earlier placed on Donna's finger.

"... it can't be hidden by a biodamper!"

He ran as fast as he could to a window - and sure enough, there were the Santas, making their way slowly to the house. Rose joined him.

"I tried to tell you. They're already here," she said.

They rushed to Donna.

"Donna! Donna, they've found you," the Doctor exclaimed.

"But you said I was safe," she said, bemused.

"The biodamper isn't going to work this time," Rose told her gently. "We've got to get everyone out."

Donna looked around at everyone. "Oh, my God - it's all my family..."

"Out the back door!" the Doctor announced.

They ran out the back door, only to be confronted with two of the Santas.

"Maybe not," he conceded.

They ran back inside. The Doctor darted over to another window and saw two more Santas.

"We're trapped," Donna whispered, horrified that this was happening again.

The Santas held some kind of remote control, which they raised. The Doctor and Rose looked at the Christmas tree in the middle of the room, then at each other.

Rose murmured with an appalled expression, "Christmas trees..."

"What about them?" Donna asked, confused.

"They kill," the Doctor replied before running into the crowd. "Get away from the tree!"

Rose echoed his cries, "Don't touch the trees!"

The Doctor waved people into a circle, away from the trees. "Get away from the Christmas trees, everyone get away from them!"

The Santas stood at the ready with their remote controls as Donna ushered a group of little girls away from the Christmas tree, trusting the people who had saved her life earlier.

"Out! Lance, tell them!" she ordered her fiancee.

Rose helped an elderly couple move as she called to the guests, "Stay away from the tree!"

Outside, the Santas pressed a big red button in the middle of their consoles.

The Doctor snapped at Donna's mother, "Stay away from the tree!"

The woman scoffed at him. "Oh, for God's sakes, the man's an idiot! Why? What's a Christmas tree gonna... oh!"

She trailed off as she observed the baubles float away from the tree in some kind of weird dance. The Doctor watched them mistrustfully as they hovered above everyone's heads. Everyone chattered excitedly until the homicidal decorations started dive-bombing around the room and causing small explosions. Everyone suddenly started screaming and running for cover. Donna pulled Lance down to hide under a table with her.

"Oh, now they listen," the Doctor muttered as Rose ran to his side.

"Not the time, Doctor!" she chided. "We've got Santas coming inside."

Nodding, the Doctor runs over to the DJ's stand, pulling her along and putting her behind him protectively. The Santas lined up on the opposite side of the room.

"Oi! Santa! Word of advice: if you're attacking a man with a sonic screwdriver..." the Doctor grabbed the microphone and spoke into it. "... don't let him near the sound system."

He held the sonic screwdriver next to the amplifiers and it made a horrible, high-pitched screeching sound. Everyone covered their ears and the Santas vibrated violently until they fell to pieces. The Doctor removed his sonic screwdriver and then ran to examine the mechanics of the Santas, Rose just behind him, wiggling a finger in her ear. The guests began to get up off the floor. The Doctor picked up the consoles which the Santas were using. Rose glanced around, seeing that Donna and her family were checking on everyone, making sure they were all right. She turned back to what the Doctor was doing.

"Look at that," he said, in his thinking mode, showing Rose the console. "Remote control for the decorations, but there's a second remote control for the robots."

They bent down to examine the head of one of the robots.

"They're not scavengers anymore, are they?" Rose said softly. "I think someone's taken possession."

"Brilliant, my dear," he praised her, pressing a kiss to her forehead in his excitement. "The question is - who?"

Donna came to them. "People have been hurt, you're a doctor..."

"Not that kind of Doctor," Rose tried to explain.

"Still, you could help."

"I am!" he exclaimed, holding the head to his ear. "Gotta think of the bigger picture... there's still a signal! Come, Rose!"

And with that, he takes off, Rose's hand firmly grasped in his. Donna makes to follow him when she's stopped by her mother.

"Donna... who are they? Who are those people?"

Donna paused, not having an answer for her. After another heartbeat, she followed the Doctor, leaving her mother and Lance staring after her. Outside, the Doctor stood scanning the helmet with his sonic screwdriver, Rose smiled at Donna.

"There's someone behind this, directing the robo-force," the Doctor was saying.

"But why is it me? What have I done?" Donna asked.

"If we find the controller, we'll find that out. Oh!" He raised his sonic screwdriver into the air. "It's up there. Something in the sky."

He listened for a moment, as Lance exited the building and watched them, glancing toward the sky.

"I've lost the signal. We've got to get to that office, H C Clements. I think that's where it all started." The Doctor turned to look at Rose and saw the man who'd joined them. "Lance - is it Lance? Can you give us a lift?"

The small group arrived at H C Clements and ran into the building and then into Donna's office. The Doctor went straight to a computer, while Rose looked around the woman's desk, and then the coffee machine.

"This might just be a locksmiths, but H C Clements was brought up twenty three years ago by the Torchwood Institute," the Doctor explained.

"Who are they?"

The man at the computer glanced at his companion before answering, "They were behind the battle of Canary Wharf."

There was only a blank silence from Donna.

"... Cyberman invasion."

She looked at him inquiringly.

"Skies over London full of Daleks?"

"Oh, I was in Spain," Donna nodded.

"They had Cybermen in Spain," Rose grinned.

"Scuba diving."

The Doctor shook his head. "That big picture, Donna - you keep on missing it." He darted over to another computer. "Torchwood was destroyed, but H C Clements stayed in business. I think... someone else came in and took over."

He whacked the monitor.

Rose returned to his side. "Would you stop hitting things?"

"Percussion engineering," he grinned at her.

"But what do they want with me?" Donna prompted.

He turned to the woman with a serious expression. "Somehow you've been dosed with Huon energy. And that's a problem because Huon energy hasn't existed since the Dark times. The only place you'd find a Huon particle now is a remnant in the heart of the TARDIS. See? That's what happened. Say... that's the TARDIS," he held up a mug and then a pencil, "and that's you. The particles inside you activated. The two sets of particles magnetised and WHAP! You were pulled inside the TARDIS." He popped the pencil into the mug.

"I'm a pencil inside a mug?" she said weakly.

He nodded before moving on. "Yes, you are. 4H. Sums you up. Lance? What was H C Clements working on? Anything top secret? Special operations? Do not enter?"

Donna's intended puffed up, defensive. "I don't know, I'm in charge of personnel. I wasn't project manager."

The Doctor held his sonic screwdriver to the screen and it instantly displayed the page he was looking for.

"Why am I even explaining myself? What the hell are we talking about?" Lance asked.

"They make keys, that's the point. And look at this, Rose," the Doctor points out something on a 3D plan of the building on the screen. "We're on the third floor."

He jumped up and ran over to the lift, the others following just behind him. He punch the button with a flourish and turned to explain.

"Underneath reception, there's a basement, yes?" The doors pinged open and the Doctor moved inside to look at the controls. "Then how come when you look on the lift, there's a button marked 'lower basement'? There's a whole floor which doesn't exist on the official plans. So what's down there, then?"

"Are you telling me this building's got a secret floor?" Lance asked.

"No, I'm showing you this building's got a secret floor."

"It needs a key," Donna argued."

"I don't," he answered cheerfully, applying the sonic screwdriver to the lock before reaching out and tugging Rose to his side. "Right then, thanks you two, we can handle this - see you later."

"No chance, Martian," Donna insisted. "You're the man who keeps saving my life, I ain't letting you out of my sight."

She joined them in the lift.

"Going down," the Doctor said with a grin to Rose.

"Lance?" Donna asked expectantly.

The man visibly hesitated. "Maybe I should go to the police."

"Inside."

Lance meekly joined them in the lift.

"To honour and obey?" the Doctor asked, darting a glance at Rose.

"Tell me about it, mate," Lance muttered.

The doors close and the lift descended, pinging when it reached the lower basement and the people inside stepped out into a long, dark, dank corridor, dimly lit with an eerie green light.

"Where are we? Well, what goes on down here?" Donna asked, curiously.

"Let's find out..." the Doctor answered easily.

"Do you think Mr. Clements knows about this place?" she asked her fiancee.

"The mysterious H C Clements? I think he's part of it," the Doctor said easily, looking around. "Oh, look - transport."

Soon, the Doctor, Rose, Donna and Lance were trundling down the corridor each standing on their own electric scooters, all feeling just as extremely comical as they all looked. Donna looked around at the image they made and burst out laughing. The Doctor and Rose joined in, but Lance scowled, just not getting it.

They came to a door which said "Torchwood - authorised personnel only", so naturally they abandoned their scooters and headed for it. The Doctor turned the wheel that would open the door to reveal a ladder. The Doctor peered upwards.

"Wait here. Just need to get my bearings. Don't do anything."

The doctor started up the ladder.

Rose watched him. "Just make sure you come back."

"You couldn't get rid of me if you tried, Rose," he shot back.

"I'm holding you to that!" she called, fidgeting. It was the first she'd been without him since the day at Canary Wharf.

Donna smiled at their banter, but Lance tugged on the woman's arm.

"Donna... have you thought about this? Properly? I mean, this is serious! What the hell are we gonna do?" he asked, a note of panic in his voice.

"Oh, I thought July." She hadn't really been listening, and she smiled brightly, before turning her attention back to the Doctor climbing the ladder.

The Doctor reached the top of the ladder where he was confronted with the underside of a manhole. He opened it and climbed out into the waning daylight and found he was overlooking the Thames Flood barrier.

He hurried back down, jumping down the last bit. "Thames flood barrier! Right on top of us. Torchwood snuck in and built this place underneath."

Rose laughed. "Another secret base hidden underneath a major London landmark?"

He laughed with her, nudging her arm at the shared joke. "I know! Unheard of."

They explored further, finding some kind of laboratory, full of massive test tubes bubbling away and chemistry equipment.

"Oh, look at this! Stunning! Particle extrusion!" the Doctor cried at the work.

Rose leaned close. "What does it do?"

Instead of explaining, the Doctor had a thought. "Particle extrusion. Hold on..." He darted over to one of the bubbling tubes and tapped it. "Brilliant. They've been manufacturing Huon particles. In case my people got rid of Huons, they unravelled the atomic structure."

Lance looked interested. "Your people? Who are they? What company do you represent?"

"Oh, I'm a freelancer," the Doctor explained evasively. "But this lot are rebuilding them. They've been using the river! Extruding them through a flat hydrogen base so they've got the end result - Huon particles in liquid form."

He picked up a small test tube full of the Huon particles.

"And that's what's inside me?" Donna asked.

The Doctor gently turned a knob at the top of the test tube, making the contents glow gold - and Donna with it.

"Oh, my God!" the woman yelled.

"Because the particles are inert - they need something living to catalyse inside and that's you. Saturate the body and then... HA! The wedding! Yes, you're getting married, that's it! Best day of your life, walking down the aisle - oh, your body's a battleground! There's a chemical war inside! Adrenaline, acetylcholine, WHAM go the endorphins, oh you're cooking! Yeah, you're like a walking oven! A pressure cooker, a microwave, all churning away, the particles reach boiling point, SHAZAM!"

"You've got 'em too?" Lance asked, causing both Donna and the Doctor to look in Rose's direction.

She was glowing moreso than Donna, though she was calm about it. "Could you maybe put that back, Doctor? I'd like to give up the light show."

He looked shaken as he set it back down, moving to take Rose's hands. "But... but I took that out of you..."

She smiled a bit. "I was too far gone," she told him. "She had to give me a boost or you were gonna lose me, and you'd have been even worse off if that had happened."

"The TARDIS?" he clarified.

She nodded. "Look, we can talk about this later, yeah? Bigger problems an' all."

Donna took a deep breath, "Just tell me, am I safe?"

"Yes!"

She pressed, "Doctor... if your lot got rid of Huon particles... why did they do that?"

The Doctor released Rose and look away. "Because they were deadly."

"Oh, my God..."

"I'll sort it out, Donna. Whatever's been done to you, I'll reverse it. I'm not about to lose anyone today," the Doctor looked at Rose as he spoke.

They were distracted by crashes and bangs that seemed to come from all around them.

A voice creeped out from the shadows, "Oh, she is long since lost."

One of the walls slid upwards to reveal a secret chamber with an enormous round hole in the floor.

"I have waited so long, hibernating at the edge of the universe..." the voice continued as Lance, eyes widened in horror, hurriedly retreated through the door. "... until the secret heart was uncovered and called out to waken!"

The walls of the chamber were lined with the armed robots wearing black hoods.

The Doctor peered down the hole. "Someone's been digging... oh, very Torchwood. Drilled by laser. How far down does it go?"

"Down and down, all the way to the centre of the Earth!"

The Doctor made an interested noise. " Really? Seriously? What for?"

Rose moved to peer down the hole. "The heat, where is it?

"What?" the Doctor asked, turning to her in surprise.

She gestured to the hole. "If that goes to the molten center of the earth, shouldn't there be some sort of breeze, or air moving from the magma?"

He blinked. "Rose! You brilliant thing! You see it too! There's something in that hole that's been protected from the magma."

She nodded, but didn't appear to like being right.

The voice spoke again. "Such a sweet couple. And a pretty bride."

The Doctor glanced around, the reference to Rose making the voice a problem. He would not tolerate anything further happening to her. "Only a madman talks to thin air and trust me, you don't want to make me mad. Where are you?"

"High in the sky, floating so high on Christmas Night."

"I didn't come all this way to talk on the intercom! Come on, let's have a look at you!"

Rose elbowed him sharply. Did he always have to rush headfirst into dangerous situations?!

"Who are you with such command?"

"I'm the Doctor."

A noise fills the air. "Prepare your best medicines, doctor-man, for you will be sick at heart."

A huge spider with the face and torso of a humanoid female teleported herself into the chamber, snarling and growling. The Doctor tucked Rose behind him, as he always did when there was danger.

"The Racnoss... but that's impossible, you're one of the Racnoss!" he said ominously.

"Empress of the Racnoss," the creature hissed, gleeful in its seeming victory.

"If you're the Empress, where's the rest of the Racnoss? Or... are you the only one?" Rose asked from behind the Doctor.

"Such a sharp mind," the Empress praised her.

While inclined to agree, the Doctor didn't want anything as deadly as one of the Racnoss acknowledging his Rose. "That's it, the last of your kind. The Racnoss come from the Dark Times, billions of years ago, billions. They were carnivores, omnivores, they devoured whole planets."

The Empress seemed to like his description. "Racnoss are born starving, is that our fault?"

Donna screamed out, "They eat people?"

Instead of answering, the Doctor asked, "H C Clements, did he wear those- those erm, black and white shoes?"

Not catching his point, she nodded with a wide smile. "He did! We used to laugh, we used to call him the fat cat in spats."

Rose pointed to a web on the ceiling - a pair of black and white shoes still attached to the unfortunate H C Clements could just be seen poking out. "I think it's safe to safe he knew about this at least for a little bit."

"Mm, my Christmas dinner," the Empress cackled.

"You shouldn't even exist! Way back in history, the Fledgling Empires went to war against the Racnoss - they were wiped out," the Doctor scolded her.

Lance appeared on a balcony above the Racnoss', unbeknownst to her. Donna spotted him and Lance motioned for her to stay silent.

Donna screeched at the Empress, trying to keep her distracted. "But that's what I've got inside me, that Huon energy thing. Oi! Look at me, lady, I'm talking. Where do I fit in? How comes I get all stacked up with these Huon particles?"

Lance descended the stairs, axe at the ready.

"Look at me, you! Look me in the eye and tell me," Donna shouted.

The Empress laughed. "The bride is so feisty!"

"Yes, I am! And I don't know what you are, you big... thing. But a spider's just a spider and an axe is an axe! Now, do it!"

Lance swung the axe - the Empress swung around and hisses at the last moment - then he stopped. He glanced round at Donna and started to laugh and the Empress laughed with him.

The man looked conspiringly at the Empress. "That was a good one. Your face!"

"Lance is funny."

Donna gaped, so confused. "What?"

The Doctor murmured. "I'm sorry."

The redhead shook her head. "Sorry for what? Lance, don't be so stupid! Get her!"

The man in question shakes his head. "God, she's thick."

Donna stared at him. Rose put a hand on her arm.

"Oh Donna…"

"Months I had to put up with her," Lance lamented. "Months. A woman who can't even point to Germany on a map."

"I don't understand," Donna said.

"How did you meet him?" the Doctor asked gently.

"In the office…"

Rose explained. "He made you coffee."

"What?"

Lance spoke as though addressing an idiot, "Every day, I made you coffee."

"You had to be dosed with liquid particles over six months," the Doctor told her.

"He was poisoning me?"

The Time Lord gestured to Lance. "It was all there in the job title - the Head of Human Resources."

With a cheesy grin, Lance joked, "This time, it's personnel."

He and the Racnoss laughed, though no one else found it amusing.

Donna's voice was weak. "But... we were getting married."

Lance sneered, "Well, I couldn't risk you running off. I had to say yes. And then I was stuck with a woman who thinks the height of excitement is a new flavour Pringle. Oh, I had to sit there and listen to all that yap yap yap - "oh, Brad and Angelina - is Posh pregnant?" X Factor, Atkins Diet, Feng Shui, split ends, text me, text me, text me, dear God, the never ending fountain of fat, stupid trivia."

Donna listened to that torrent of abuse with an expression of increasing hurt and confusion.

The man heaping it on rolled his shoulders. "I deserve a medal."

Rose glared at him, slipping an arm around her new friend. "Oi! Shut it, you. You deserve a big fat kick in the arse."

"Oh, is that what she's offered you? The Empress of the Racnoss? What are you? Her consort?" the Doctor questioned him.

The man sneered. "It's better than a night with her."

"But… I love you," Donna whispered.

"That's what made it easy. It's like you said, Doctor - the big picture - what's the point of it all if the Human Race is nothing? That's what the Empress can give me. The chance to... go out there. To see it. The size of it all. I think you understand that, don't you, Doctor?"

"Who is this little physician?"

"What she said – Martian," Lance shrugged.

"Oh, I'm sort of... homeless," the Doctor evaded. "But the point is, what's down here? The Racnoss are extinct. What's gonna help you four thousand miles down? That's just the molten core of the Earth, isn't it?"

Lance glanced at the Empress. "I think he wants us to talk."

"I think so too," the Empress laughed.

"Well, tough! All we need is Donna!" Lance snapped.

"Kill this chattering little doctor-man!" the Empress shouted.

The robots pointed their guns at the Doctor.

Rose shoved her way in front of him. "Over my dead body!"

He grabbed her, "No you don't."

The Empress laughed. "So kill them both!"

The Doctor gave the Racnoss a fierce look. "Ah, now. Except."

"Take aim!"

"Well, I just want to point out the obvious—" he said in a warning tone.

"They won't hit the bride. They're such very good shots."

The Doctor tucked Rose into his side, determined to protect her. "Just- just- just- hold on, just a tick, just a tiny- just a little- tick. If you think about it, the particles activated in Donna and drew her inside my spaceship. So, reverse it... the spaceship comes to her."

He once again tweaked the tube of Huon particles which causes both the particles in the tube and inside Donna to glow. He wished he could hide the fact that Rose glowed also, but he could tell they'd seen her.

"Fire!" screamed the Empress. "Kill the doctor-man, bring me the females!"

The robots fired their guns, but too late - the TARDIS had already materialised around them and the Doctor, Rose, and Donna were safe inside.

"Off we go!" he cried, darting to the console.

The TARDIS dematerialised, impervious to the bullets hitting it.

"Oh, you know what I said before about time machines? Well, I lied. And now we're gonna use it."

The TARDIS shot through the vortex. Rose moving to his side as Donna stood trembling a bit.

"I'm sorry, Doctor. I should have told you when I first suspected," Rose said softly.

He gave her a long look. "I know. It's all right. We'll figure this out, just not now. First we stop her, and to do that we need to find out what the Empress of the Racnoss is digging up. If something's buried at the planet core, it must've been there since the beginning. That's just brilliant. Molto bene! I've always wanted to see this. Donna - we're going further back than I've ever been before."

It's only then that they notices Donna's shoulders shuddering with the silent tears pouring down her cheeks. Rose goes to her instantly, wrapping her arms around the other woman.

The TARDIS, having arrived at its destination, clicked quietly as it cooled down. The Doctor peered around the console at the miserable Donna held tightly by his Rose.

He spoke softly, "We've arrived... want to see?"

"I s'pose," the almost bride sniffed.

"C'mon," the blonde woman encouraged her. "He's never let me down yet."

The Doctor swung the monitor round.

"Oh, that scanner's a bit small. Maybe your way's best. Come on."

Rose pulled Donna to resignedly join him.

"No human's ever seen this. You'll be the first."

"All I want to see is my bed," Donna moaned.

The Doctor smiled, wrapping Rose in his arms as the three of them stared out the open doors. "Donna Noble - welcome to the creation of the Earth. We've gone back 4.6 billion years. There's no solar system, not yet. Only dust and rocks and gas." He pointed. "That's the Sun over there, brand new. Just beginning to burn."

"Where's the Earth?" Donna asked.

"All around us... in the dust."

The woman in the wedding dress shivered. "Puts the wedding in perspective. Lance was right. We're just... tiny."

The Doctor sighs joyfully, pressing a cheek to Rose's. "No, but that's what you do. The human race. Making sense out of chaos. Marking it out with weddings and Christmas and calendars. This whole process is beautiful, but only if it's being observed."

The woman in his arms turned slightly to look at him. "So, I came out of all this?"

"Isn't that brilliant?" he said, breathless with the combined excitement of watching the beginnings of the planet he adored, and being with the woman he…

Whoa, that was a bit scary to even admit.

A massive chunk of rock floated lazily past the TARDIS.

"I think that's the Isle of Wight," Donna commented drily, breaking the spell over the other two.

They laughed and the Doctor loosed his hold on Rose, heading back to the console.

"Eventually, gravity takes hold," he said as if lecturing a couple of students at a university. "Say, one big rock, heavier than the others, starts to pull other rocks towards it. All the dust and gas and elements get pulled in, everything, piling in until you get the..."

"Earth," the women answered together, exchanging a grin as they watched with wonder.

Behind them, the doctor made some adjustments to the flow of time outside the TARDIS. "But the question is... what was that first rock?"

A star shaped rock emerged through the clouds.

"Look!" Donna said, pointing.

"It looks like a… web," Rose said softly.

"The Racnoss... Hold on - the Racnoss are hiding from the war! What's it doing?"

The rocks, the particles of dust and gas, they were all zooming towards the Racnoss as though drawn by a magnetic force.

Rose tipped her head. "Exactly what you said."

He sped back to watch with her. "Oh, they didn't just bury something at the centre of the Earth... they became the centre of the Earth. The first rock."

The TARDIS suddenly shuddered violently and they were nearly knocked off their feet.

"What was that?" Donna exclaimed.

"Trouble," both the Doctor and Rose answered her.

The Doctor slammed the doors shut. They struggle to keep their balance as the TARDIS shudders and tips. Rose reaches for him, panic in her eyes.

Donna screamed over the noise, "What the hell's it doing?"

"Remember that little trick I pulled - particles pulling particles. It works in reverse - they're pulling us back!"

The Doctor desperately tries to pilot the TARDIS but it is beyond his control as they whirl through the vortex.

"Well, can't you stop it? Hasn't it got a handbrake? Can't you reverse or warp or beam or something?" the redhead shouted.

"Backseat driver," he said, pulling Rose up next to him. "Oh! Wait a minute!"

He moved to a panel and opened it pulling out the extrapolator from underneath the console.

"The extrapolator!" Rose grinned.

He nodded to her, "Can't stop us, but it should give us a good bump!" He whacked the extrapolator. "Now!"

The TARDIS appeared down the corridor. The people inside emerged.

The Doctor nodded. "We're about 200 yards to the right. Come on!"

They ran, and soon arrived at the doorway leading up to the Thames Flood Barrier.

Donna gasped for air, terrified. "But what do we do?"

He listened behind the door with a stethoscope. "I don't know! I make it up as I go along! But trust me, I've got a history."

"He really does," Rose agreed, but it was said fondly, with a soft look at him.

He shot the same look back at her.

"But I still don't understand. I'm full of particles - but what for?" the almost bride begged.

"There's a Racnoss web at the centre of the Earth, but my people unravelled their power source. The Huon particles ceased to exist but the Racnoss are stuck. They've just been in hibernation for billions of years. Frozen. Dead. Kaput! So you're the new key. Brand new particles, living particles! They need you to open it and you have never been so quiet."

Rose tugged his arm. "Problem."

He finally looked behind them and noticed that she was gone. He groans and looked up and down the empty corridor.

"Where..?"

His companion shook her head. "I don't know. One minute she was here… then…"

Rose gestured to the empty hall.

"Right." He opened the door with his sonic screwdriver, only to be confronted with an armed robot.

After a fair bit of threatening and posturing on the part of the Emperess, and the unfortunate death of Lance, one of the robots ascended the stairs running up the side of the chamber.

The Empress hissed, "My children are climbing towards me and none shall stop them! So you might as well unmask, my clever little doctor-man."

The robot unmasked with a wry expression. "Oh well. Nice try. I've got you, Donna!"

He aimed his sonic screwdriver up at her and the web loosened.

"I'm gonna fall!"

"No, you're gonna swing!"

"But where is your pretty little golden pet, doctor-man?" the Empress taunted him.

Donna grabbed a loose strand and swung towards the Doctor.

"I'm right here," Rose answered defiantly, catching Donna and guiding her safely to the platform with the Doctor.

"The doctor-man no longer amuses me."

"Empress of the Racnoss - I give you one last chance. I can find you a planet. I can find you a place in the universe to coexist. Take that offer and end this now," the Doctor said in a commanding tone.

"Oh - I'm afraid I have to decline," she purred at him. "But my babies will grow into mighty creatures when they feed on your pet."

The Doctor went rigid. "Threaten her, and what happens next is your own doing."

"I'll show you what happens next. At arms!" she shouted.

The robots raised their guns, pointed at the people on the stairs. Rose looked up and locked eyes with the Doctor for a moment, absolute trust in her eyes.

"Take aim! And—"

The voice of the Doctor was barely a murmur, but it still had the tone of command. "Relax."

The robots went limp.

"What did you do?" Donna gasped.

"Guess what I've got, Donna?" His tone was teasing as he produced the remote control from one of his pockets. "Pockets."

"How did that fit in there?" she asked, eyes wide.

He shrugged. "They're bigger on the inside."

"Better yet, when you gonna let me clean 'em out?" Rose asked pointedly.

"Another day, my dear," he grinned.

"Robo-forms are not necessary. My children may feast on Martian flesh, before they drain the power from the golden pet."

"Oh no they will not," he bit out to her. "And I'm not from Mars."

"Then where?"

"My home planet is far away and long-since gone. But its name lives on. Gallifrey."

A roar of anger burst from the Empress. "They murdered the Racnoss!"

"I warned you. You did this," he said, his tone a mixture of cold disgust and fury. He produces a handful of baubles.

She waved her hands, panicking. "No! No! Don't! No!"

The Doctor threw several handfuls of the baubles into the air. Some surrounded the Empress and some smashed into the walls of the corridor, destroying them and letting the water from the Thames rush though in torrents. Another bauble exploded causing a fire at the Empress' feet. She wailed as water flooded into the chamber and down the hole.

"My children!"

The Doctor stood watching in silence, surrounded by fire and water, while the river swirls down the hole like it's a plughole. His eyes are cold, unfeeling. Donna is frightened of him, but Rose hugged her.

"He's lost so much… it's ok, I'll stop him."

The Empress was hysterical even as she was consumed by flames. "No! My children! My children!"

Donna couldn't stay quiet. "Doctor! You can stop now!"

But the Doctor couldn't stop - he watched the Racnoss writhe and wail in agony with dark eyes, full of centuries old some secret pain and then Rose moved to him, taking his hand.

"Doctor."

At that word, he snapped out of it, turning to look at her and then Donna. "Come on! Time I got you out!"

They ran up the stairs, soaking wet as the Empress attempts to teleport herself to the safety of her ship.

"What about that Empress thing?" Donna shouted.

"She's used up all her Huon energy - she's defenceless!" the Doctor replied.

Cannons shot at the star from all directions and it quickly fell to pieces until finally it burst into flame and disintegrated completely, the Empress and all.

The people climbing reached the top of the ladder and they clambered out into the night, whooping and cheering in delight when they realised the Racnoss has been destroyed.

After catching her breath, Donna looked around. "Just... there's one problem."

"What's that?" Rose asked her.

"We've drained the Thames."

The three couldn't help themselves. They collapsed in laughter at the sight of the dry riverbed.

Later that night, the TARDIS materialised across the road from Donna's house. She stepped outside, followed by Rose first, then the Doctor who looked the TARDIS over.

"There we go. Told you she'd be all right. She can survive anything."

"More than I've done," commented the woman, still in her wedding dress.

The blonde woman shook her head. "You did wonderfully, Donna."

"I'm right dead after this."

The Doctor turned and scanned her with the sonic screwdriver. "Nope! All the Huon particles have gone. No damage, you're fine."

"Apart from that... I missed my wedding, lost my job and became a widow on the same day. Sort of."

The Doctor nodded solemnly. "I couldn't save him."

The redhead sniffed. "He deserved it."

The Doctor raised his eyebrows, and Donna's face softened.

"No, he didn't." She sighed and looked round at the house. "I'd better get inside. They'll be worried."

"Best Christmas present they could have," Rose said simply.

They watched Donna's parents embrace each other through the window.

"Oh, no, I forgot - you hate Christmas," the Doctor said to the woman, a bit teasingly.

"Yes, I do," she said, though even she's not sure anymore.

"Even if it snows?" he asked cheekily.

He tweaked a hidden switch on the TARDIS and a ball of light shot out of the top and exploded like a firework in the sky into softly falling snow. Donna laughed with delight.

"I can't believe you did that!" Rose cried, turning her face and hands up to the snow.

He shrugged, looking up. "Oh, basic atmospheric excitation."

He grinned at Donna and she smiled back.

"Merry Christmas," Donna said sincerely.

"And you," he told her in return. "So... what will you do with yourself now?"

Rose turned, wondering herself about that.

"Not getting married for starters," she joked. "And I'm not gonna temp anymore. I dunno... travel... see a bit more of planet Earth... walk in the dust. Just... go out there and do something."

"Well, you could always…" he nodded his head back to the TARDIS.

"What?"

"... come with us…"

Rose blinked, surprised, then grinned as the idea settled in her mind. "Oh yes, Donna. We'd have such fun!"

Donna smile and shook her head. "No."

The Doctor shrugged easily. "Okay."

"I can't…"

He held up a hand. "No, that's fine."

Donna looked at the pair. "No, but really... everything we did today... do you live your life like that?"

"... Not all the time," Rose said evasively.

"Hardly ever," the Doctor agreed, making a face that said plainly they weren't even fooling themselves.

"I think you do. And I couldn't," the redhead laughed.

Rose looked as though she didn't understand. "But you've seen it out there. It's beautiful."

The other woman nodded. "And it's terrible. That place was flooding and burning and they were dying and you were stood there like... I don't know... a stranger. And then you made it snow - I mean, you scare me to death!"

The Doctor was a bit torn. Rose never minded. "Well then."

"Tell you what I will do though - Christmas dinner. Oh, come on." Donna gestured for them to follow her into the house. You might as well because Mum always cooks enough for twenty."

The Doctor looked at Rose, who was now looking in the window at Donna's family, a stricken expression on her face. He shook his head.

"No, thank you, Donna Noble," he said softly, reaching for Rose and tucking her into his side. "I think it's best if Rose and I be by ourselves for this one."

"Am I ever gonna see you again?" the woman asked.

"If we're lucky," the Doctor smiled.

"Just... promise me one thing; take care of Rose," she said, looking at the blonde woman as though saying goodbye to her sister.

He smiled down at the top of Rose's head, the tender look in his eyes obvious to anyone. "Oh, count on that. Thanks then, Donna - good luck - and just... be magnificent."

She smiled and laughed. "I think I will, yeah."

He led Rose back into the TARDIS and closed the door - and instead of its usual dematerialisation, the TARDIS shot up into the night sky. Donna watched with a sad smile and then walked into her home.

On their own again, Rose buried her face in the Doctor's chest and cried. He held onto her. She'd been so strong, saying her farewell, then having Donna burst in and running with him to save the people from the Racnoss. She had to be exhausted, and he told her so.

"I'm sure I am," she sniffed. "But I… I can't be alone just now."

He brushed the hair out of her eyes and kissed her forehead. "You'll never be alone, Rose Tyler. I promise you that."

She nodded and hugged him tight, cuddling against his chest as they stood against the rail. He just held onto her, finding it easy to hold her. His last incarnation hadn't been fond of touch, but this one seemed all for hugging and touching. Especially in the case of a particular blonde human woman. The Doctor wasn't sure what would come their way next, but he was buoyed knowing she would be there with him to face it.

A/N: Well, there is The Runaway Bride, my way. I would love to hear what you think! I know there were skipped scenes, but that's because I was just concentrating on how it would be different with Rose, and I was too lazy to write them out. Please, please leave a note and tell me what you think. You wouldn't believe how important your reviews are to me!


	3. 0301 Smith and Jones

_A/N: Here's another episode for my loyal readers! Hope you like reading it as much as I liked writing it! Please review if you read? I love hearing from you. Also, if you read my other fics, I will be updating them eventually, but I can't get this out of my head right now._

Season Three

"Smith and Jones"

Rose made a face at the hospital as she and the Doctor headed toward it. "Why do I have to be the patient?" she asked him, for the third time.

"Well, you're human, and I'm not," he told her, as though that explained everything. "Or, near enough. The scans we did on the TARDIS showed you've got both the energy and a bit of the Time Vortex from the heart in your system-"

"Which means I stopped aging properly, I know," she interrupted. "You told me that. I'm not immortal like Jack, I won't regenerate like you, but if I avoid dying, I could possibly live as long as the TARDIS herself. But why am I the patient here?"

She pointed at the hospital.

The Doctor grinned. "Don't you think it would be odd if they discovered I have two hearts and no lungs?"

She grumbled as they entered, but had to admit he had a point. As she filled out the paperwork to be be admitted, she noticed something on the paper.

"Doctor,"she said. "Only family members are allowed to stay with patient..."

He shrugged easily. "I'll be with you. Remember? We're a team."

She looked at him in exasperation. "But you're not family, and I can't exactly go 'round telling them you're my brother. Someone working here might know me and know I haven't got a brother."

The intense look the Doctor gave her made Rose shiver.

"Oh no," he said softly. "I am definitely not your brother, my Rose."

She smiled at him. He'd called her that several times now. Mostly since they had discovered she wasn't aging anymore. Leaning into his arm, she hurriedly finished the paperwork and gave him a strange look as he took it from her and made a few corrections before turning it in.

"Doctor," she asked when he returned to her side. "Knowing what we do, about this connection to the TARDIS, if I had stayed in that parrallel world...wouldn't the separation have slowly... killed me?"

He blinked, turning to her with a great amount of shock. "I hadn't considered that... I... oh, my Rose! I nearly killed you!"

She grabbed him in a strong hug. "No! You couldn't have known, Doctor. It didn't even happpen, so don't you be getting upset on me."

"Rose Smith."

"That's you," said the Doctor, urging her along.

"Can't be," she shook her head. "I wrote Rose Tyler."

"Better if we don't always use your real name, don't you think," he said hurriedly. "In you go then!"

She headed for the doors, Doctor just behind her. The nurse referred to him as her husband, and Rose half expected him to argue. When he didn't, she blushed a bright red and realized he'd changed the paperwork to allow him to accompany her. Soon she was settled for the night, the Doctor next to her.

They talked about where they would go next, until she drifted off to sleep. Unknown to them, the staff were all talking about the woman and her husband who sat watching her sleep all night with an expression of absolute devotion.

The next morning brought a group of medical students around, and Rose smiled brightly at them, which was easy since the Doctor was still holding her hand.

The man leading them smiled at Rose, a bit condescending, but polite all the same. "Now then, Mrs. Smith, a very good morning to you. How are you today?"

Rose glanced at the Doctor before answering, "Aw, not so bad, still a bit, you know. Blah."

A bare nod acknowledged her, before he turned to address the students. "Mrs. John Smith, or Rose, admitted yesterday with severe abdominal pains. Jones, why don't you see what you can find? Amaze me."

The student named Jones placed the stethoscope on Rose's chest with a warm smile. "Any chance you're pregnant?"

Rose blushed. "No! I mean, I'm sure that's not it."

The young black woman laughed a bit. "No worries, good to see your husband made it back to you after popping out this morning."

The Doctor blinked at her, "Sorry?"

"On Chancery Street this morning. You came up to me and took your tie off," the woman explained, taking Rose's pulse.

"Really?" the Doctor grinned, nudging Rose. "What did I do that for?"

"Knowing you, any number of reasons," the woman in the bed snorted.

"I don't know, you just did."

He shook his head, still smiling broadly. "Not me. I was here, right next to Rose. Ask the nurses."

Jones shrugged. "Well, that's weird, cause it looked like you. Have you got a brother?"

"No, no family anymore. Just us."

Rose reached for his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze which he returned.

Jones' instructor rolled his eyes impatiently. "As time passes and I grow ever more infirm and weary, Miss Jones."

"Sorry. Right," she said, moving her hands to press gingerly on Rose's abdomen. Not finding any sign of distress, she glanced up at the Doctor who winked.

"I weep for further generations. Are you having trouble locating the problem, Miss Jones?"

A bit flustered by the wink, Jones stammered, "Um. I don't know. Stomach cramps?"

"That is a symptom, not a diagnosis. And you rather failed basic techniques by not consulting first with the patient's chart," the instructor sighed.

He picked up the chart, but received a large, noticeable electric shock, and dropped it.

"That happened to me this morning," Jones said curiously.

Another student, a man with blonde hair, said, "I had the same thing on the door handle."

"And me, on the lift," piped another student, a woman with dark hair.

The Doctor and Rose exchanged a look. That was a bit much for a normal turn of events.

The instructor waved dismissively. "That's only to be expected. There's a thunderstorm moving in and lightning is a form of static electricity, as was first proven by - anyone?"

The Doctor answered without thinking. "Benjamin Franklin."

"Correct!"

Thinking back, he rambled on. "My mate Ben, that was a day and a half. I got rope burns off that kite, and then I got soaked.."

The instructor raised a brow, "Quite..."

Rose rolled her eyes and tapped his arm. "Err... John...?"

"... and then I got electrocuted."

"Doctor!" Rose hissed, elbowing him. He blinked and looked at her with a sheepish grin.

"Moving on!"

After the students moved on, Rose giggled at the Doctor. "Honestly, appropriate time and place, Doctor."

"I can't help myself sometimes!" he laughed.

Moments later they were up and moving, Rose having changed back into her clothes. They moved by the kitchen area where they saw the student from earlier and kept going. A moment later the Doctor stopped by the window.

"It's raining," he said.

"We've seen rain," Rose said, trying to prompt him to the point, as she was now used to doing.

"Not that falls up," he smirked, pointing.

She raised both brows. "I'll give you that one," she said, moving closer to look.

The hospital began to shake violently, the lights flickering. The Doctor grabbed Rose and held her close as they both crashed to the floor. He tried to cover her head, the pair nose to nose suddenly and a bit distracted. They almost didn't noticed the shaking stop as they stared at each other. Suddenly the Doctor scrambled to his feet, pulling her up as well.

"Are you all right?" he asked anxiously.

She nodded, staring past him to the window. "Yeah, but you take me on some of the strangest dates."

Surprised by the answer she gave, the Doctor spun around and laughed at the view. "Well, how interesting!"

They headed back to the patient area and saw the student they only knew as Jones trying to calm people down.

"All right, everyone back to bed, we've got an emergency but we'll sort it out." She moved to a window and looked out, her epression more excited than afraid. "It's real. It's really real. Hold on!"

She reached for the window-latch.

The dark haired female student that was with her shouted, "Don't! We'll lose all the air!"

Shaking her head, the black woman argued, "But they're not exactly air tight. If the air was going to get sucked out it would have happened straight away, but it didn't. So how come?"

The Doctor shot Rose a grin at that before saying, "Very good point! Brilliant, in fact. What was your name?"

"Martha."

"And it was Jones, wasn't it?" Rose added.

Martha nodded at the pair.

"Well then, Martha Jones, the question is, how are we still breathing?" the Doctor asked her, a look of sheer delight on his face.

His companion shook her head, looking amused. "He absolutely loves it when people ask the right questions."

The other woman sobbed, "We can't be!"

He immediately dismissed that woman as one of the humans who would simply never understand. "Obviously we are so don't waste my time. Martha, what have we got? Is there a balcony on this floor, or a veranda, or...?"

"By the patients' lounge, yeah," Martha answered quickly.

The Doctor offered Rose his arm, his manic grin in place as always. "Fancy going out?"

"What kind of date would this be if we didn't?" she teased him.

He turned to the clever woman. "Would you like come on a walk with us?"

"Okay," Martha shrugged, her curiosity driving her to find out.

"We might die," Rose tested the woman, grinning broadly.

The black woman found herself grinning back. "We might not."

"Good! C'mon," the Doctor cheered. He nodded at the woman cowering in the corner. "Not her, she'd hold us up."

Rose shakes her head slightly, "Rude again."

"Someday you'll reform me," he acknowledged lightly.

The three headed to the patients' lounge and pushed open the doors. They stepped out onto the balcony.

"We've got air! How does that work?" Martha asked incredulously.

"Just be glad it does," the Doctor said seriously.

Staring at the earth, the medical student sighed. "I've got a party tonight. It's my brother's twenty-first. My mother's going to be really ... really..."

Rose placed a hand on her arm, ever a source of compassion. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she said softly.

"Sure?"

"Yeah."

"Want to go back in?" the Doctor asked.

The woman gave a short laugh. "No way. I mean, we could die any minute, but all the same - it's beautiful."

Rose grinned, taking an instant liking to this woman.

"How many people want to go to the moon? And here we are!" Martha laughed, gesturing to the surface of the moonlight.

"Standing in the earthlight," the Doctor said, his arm stealing around Rose's waist.

Martha smiled a bit at the way the blonde automatically leaned back into him, as if this were an everyday thing for the two of them.

"What do you think happened?" she asked the pair.

The Doctor looked at her, grinning quirkily. 'What do you think?"

"Extraterrestrial. It's got to be," Martha said with confidence. "I don't know, a few years ago that would have sounded man, but these days? That spaceship flying into Big Ben - Christmas - those Cybermen things. I had a cousin. Adeola. She worked at Canary Wharf. She never came home."

"I'm sorry," the Doctor said, feeling personally responsible for that.

"Stop," Rose murmured. "We did what we had to, there was nothing we could have done for her."

At the other woman's questioning look, the Doctor admitted. "We were there. In the battle."

"I promise you, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, we will find a way out. If we can travel to the moon, then we can travel back. There's got to be a way," Martha vowed.

The Doctor made a face. "It's not Smith, that's not our real name."

"Who are you, then?"

"I'm the Doctor, and this is my... Rose."

She nodded, "Me too, if I can pass my exams. What is it, then, Doctor Smith?"

"Just the Doctor," Rose giggled.

Martha asked, not understanding. "How do you mean, just the Doctor?"

The Doctor grinned. "Just... the Doctor."

"What, people call you 'the Doctor'?"

The couple looked at each other as though sharing an old, private joke. "Yeah."

Martha crossed her arms across her chest, "Well, I'm not. As far as I'm concerned, you've got to earn that title."

"Well, I'd better make a start, then. Let's have a look." The Doctor stood straight and reluctantly released Rose. He picked up a stone from the balcony and threw it. "There must be some sort of force field keeping the air in."

The stone bounced of an invisible wall that rippled slightly from the contact.

"If that's like a bubble sealing us in, that means this is the only air we've got. What happens when it runs out?" Martha said slowly, glancing back inside.

"How many people in this hospital?" the Doctor asked.

"I don't know, a thousand?"

Rose winced. "One thousand people. Suffocating."

"Why would anyone do that?" Martha asked, horrified.

The Doctor pointed out. "Head's up! Ask them yourself."

Several large ships landed a short way off, dozens of troops disembarking and marching for the hospital.

"Aliens. That's aliens. Real, proper aliens."

"Judoon," the Doctor corrected. He grabbed Rose's hand and pulled her along. "Come, Martha! We have to see the show!"

The three people crouched behind some plants watching the Judoon entering the hospital, walking easily through the force field. People watched, some screaming, some running, some cowering and trying to hide, but the aliens didn't seem to care. The leader took off his helmet and revealed a large rhinocerous looking head.

"Bo sco fo do no kro blo co sho ro!"

"What'd he say?" Rose asked the Doctor. "We're too far from the TARDIS for her to translate."

The Doctor smiled at her, leaning close and whispering, "He greeted them in the name of the Shadow Proclamation."

She shivered and tried to focus on what was happening.

The blonde male student spoke, "We are citizens of planet earth. We welcome you in peace."

The chief Judoon pushed the young man against the wall and shined a blue light in his face.

"Please don't hurt me, I was just trying to help, I'm sorry, don't hurt me, please don't hurt me."

The Judoon played his words back on his portable machine.

The Judoon spoke, "Language assimilated. Designation Earth English. You will be catalogued."

The chief shone a blue light in the man's face and marked a cross on the back of his hand.

"Category: human. Catalogue all suspects."

They started shining the blue light on people, checking their species, then marking the right hand. The women watched and exchanged a look, while the Doctor looked around.

"Oh, look down there, you've got a little shop. I like a little shop."

Rose tried not to laugh at her doctor, but Martha wasn't amused at all. "Never mind that! What are Judoon?"

"Galactic police. Well, police for hire. More like interplanetary thugs," the Doctor explained patiently.

"And they brought us to the moon?" she clarified as they began moving back upstairs.

The Doctor nodded. "Neutral territory. According to galactic law, they've got no jurisdiction over the Earth, and they isolated us. That rain? Lightning? That was them, using an H2O scoop."

"What's that about 'galactic law'? Where'd you get that from? If they're police, are we under arrest? Are we trespassing on the moon or something?"

He grinned. "No. But I like that. Good thinking. No, it's more simple. They're making a catalogue, it means they're after something non-human, which is very bad news for me."

Rose snorted. "I'm not sure it's such great news for me anymore."

The black woman shook her head. "Why?"

The Doctor and Rose exchanged a look.

"Oh, you're kidding me," Martha scoffed.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow.

"Don't be ridiculous. Stop looking at me like that."

He sighed, tightening his hold on Rose's hand. "Come on, then."

Upstairs, they slipped into a room where the Doctor was examining a computer with his sonic screwdriver.

"They've reached third floor. What's that thing?" Martha asked from her look out by the door.

He answered in a distracted tone. "Sonic screwdriver."

She huffed. "Well, if you're not going to answer me properly!"

Rose shook her head. "No, really, it is. It's a screwdriver, and it's sonic. Promise!"

The stuudent smirked "What else have you got? A laser spanner?"

"I did, but Rose threw it at me on the surface of Vumar III. It was lost to the quicksand pits."

He hit the computer and Rose cringed.

"If you would quit hitting equipment, I would stop getting angry and throwing things at you," she scolded the Doctor who merely winked at her.

"Oh, this computer!" he muttered. "The Judoon must have locked it down. Judoon platoon upon the moon. Cause we were just travelling past, I swear, we were looking around the town, weren't looking for trouble, honestly,well I wasn't but it seems to look for Rose, but I noticed these plasma coils around the hospital, and that lightning, that's plasma coils, been building up for two days now, so I checked Rose in, thought something was going on inside, it turns out the plasma coils were the Judoon up above."

"But what were they looking for?" Martha was able to follow him, but only just.

"Something that looks human, but isn't," the Doctor said, frowning.

"Like you. Apparently."

"But not him," Rose said, crossing her arms with a frown.

The Doctor glanced up at Rose, but continued to work.

"Haven't they got a photo?" Martha asked, trying to make sense of this whole thing.

"Might be a shape-changer," Rose said, pacing slightly.

The almost doctor peeked out the door again. "Whatever it is, can't you just leave the Judoon to find it?"

The Doctor sighed. "If they declare the hospital guilty of harbouring a fugitive, they'll sentence it to execution."

She looked back in sudden horror. "All of us?"

"Oh yes. If I can find this thing first..." the Doctor's tone flipped to severe sarcasm. "Oh! Just that they're thick! Judoon are thick! They are completely thick! They wiped the records. Oh, that's clever."

Rose moved to calm him while Martha frowned.

"What are we looking for?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I don't know. Any patient admitted in the past week with unusual symptoms. Maybe there's a back-up."

He began attacking the tower with the sonic.

"Just keep working," the student said with a nod. Finding a patient. That she could help with. "I'll go ask Mr Stoker, he might know."

Martha ran out the door, and Rose wrapped her arms around her middle again.

"You okay, Rose?" the Doctor asked, darting a worried glance at her.

"Yeah, just sort of...empty."

He nodded, glancing at the window. "Well, you are three hundred, eighty four thousand, four hundred and three kilometers from the TARDIS. And your cells are still fluctuating."

She nodded. "Well, it sucks. Let's get this criminal and hand it over to the Judoon so we can go home."

He nodded and took her hand, heading out to find Martha.

The woman they were looking for chose that moment to come running down the hall. "I found her."

He stopped. "You what?" Two creatures in solid black leather with black helmets come around the corner. "Run!"

They ran down the stairs, followed by the creatures in black. They met the Judoon coming up, and dodged out a doorway on the fourth floor. They went skidding around corners and then found themselves ducking into the radiology room. The Doctor closed and locked the door in the face of a Slab.

The Doctor began messing with the machine. "When I say 'now', press the button."

"I don't know which one," Martha exclaimed.

Rose dragged her to the controls. "Well, come on, Martha Jones. Let's find out!"

The Doctor used his sonic screwdriver on some of the machinery. One of the creatures broke down the door and headed straight for him.

"Now!"

Martha hesitated over the button she'd identified, obviously waiting for the Doctor to move. Rose leaned around her and mashed the button zapping the creature with radiation, the Doctor's skeleton visible. After a moment, the leather creature fell to the floor, immobile.

"What did you do?" Martha gasped, looking from Rose to the Doctor.

"I trusted the Doctor," Rose said simply, moving out to him.

"Increased the radiation by five thousand per cent. Killed him dead," the Doctor said, hopping around a bit.

Martha came out to him slowly, a bit fearfully. "Isn't that likely to kill you?"

"Nah, it's only radiation. We used to play with roentgen bricks in the nursery. It's safe for you to come out, I've absorbed it all. All I need to do is expel it," he said easily, still bouncing and hopping. "If I concentrate I can shake the radiation out of my body and into one spot. It's in my left shoe. Here we go, here we go, easy does it..." He started shaking his foot. "Out, out, out, out, out. Out, out, ah, ah, ah, ah. It is, it is, it is, it is, it is hot. Ah - hold on. Done."

The Doctor ripped off his left sneaker, throwing it into the dustbin.

"You're completely mad," Martha said slowly.

Rose shook her head looking fully disgusted.

"What?" he asked her, concerned.

"She's utterly right," the blonde woman told him seriously. "You look daft with one shoe."

He immediately removed and discarded the other one. "Barefoot on the moon!"

Rose grinned. "Now see? That makes much more sense."

Martha rubbed a hand over her face before kneeling next to the dead creature. "So what is that thing? And where's it from? The planet Zovirax?"

The Doctor kicked the inert form. "It's just a Slab. They're called 'Slabs'. Basic slave drones, see? Solid leather, all the way through. Someone has got one hell of a fetish."

"It came with that woman, Mrs. Finnegan. It was working for her. Just like a servant."

He nodded as he moved to the machine and took what remained of his sonic screwdriver out of the x-ray machine. "My sonic screwdriver."

"She was one of the patients, but –"

"My sonic screwdriver!"

Rose sat on a stool, a bit winded while Martha continued trying to explain where she'd found the Slabs.

"She had a straw like some kind of vampire."

"I loved my sonic screwdriver!"

Finally, Martha snapped. "Doctor!"

"Sorry," he said sheepishly, tossing the sonic screwdriver away. "You called me 'Doctor'."

Rose stood. "Anyway! You said this Miss Finnegan is the alien. She was drinking Mr. Stoker's blood?"

The Doctor moved to Rose's side, intent on helping her but she waved him away. Still watching her, he said to Martha, "Funny time to take a snack. You'd think she'd be hiding. Unless - no. Yes, that's it, wait a minute. Yes! Shape-changer. Internal shape-changer. She wasn't drinking blood, she was assimilating it. If she can assimilate Mr Stoker's blood, mimic the morphology, she can register as human. We've got to find her and show the Judoon. Come on! Rose, can you run?"

She gave him a grin and took his hand. "As long as you can."

They ran down the hall, and see the other Slab who just walked past them while they hid behind a water cooler.

"That's the thing about Slabs. They always travel in pairs," the Doctor mused.

"What about you?" Martha asked him.

"'What about me what?" he said, frowning at her.

"Is Rose your wife or your back-up? Are you two really together or are you just using her?"

His expression was horrified that she would even ask that. "Ugh. Humans. We're stuck on the moon running out of air with Judoon and a bloodsucking criminal, you're asking personal questions. Come on."

Rose thumped him lightly on the arm. "Watch it."

The medical student gave a sharp laugh. "I like that. "Humans." I'm still not convinced you're an alien."

They stepped out in front of a Judoon, who shined his blue light on the Doctor's face.

"Non-human."

"Convinced now?" Rose snapped.

"Oh my God, you really are!"

"Not now, run!" the Doctor shouted, grabbing both their hands and speeding off down the hall.

They ran, the Judoon shooting after them. They made it up stairs, and managed to lock a door behind them, but when they emerged in the corridor they found several people are falling to the ground, gasping for breath. The Doctor looked at them closely, noting the marks on their right hands.

"They've done this floor," he told them. "Come on. The Judoon are logical and just a little bit thick. They won't go back to check a floor they've checked already. If we're lucky."

Martha saw the dark haired woman from earlier and stopped her.

"How much oxygen is there?"

The woman shook her head sadly. "Not enough for all these people. We're going to run out."

The Doctor looked at Rose's pale face. "Rose, are you all right?"

"Of course I am, my Doctor," she said softly, her voice taking a similar tone as it held on Gamestation 5.

He froze momentarily, staring at her. "She's trying to protect you still, even from this far away. Amazing."

"There are other things to worry over, my Doctor. Protect the people in this hospital," Rose instructed him, her eyes glowing a little.

He nodded, turning to Martha, "How are you feeling? Are you all right?"

"I'm running on adrenaline," she admitted.

"Welcome to our world," he grinned at her.

"What about the Judoon?" she asked.

"Ah, great big lung reserves, it won't slow them down. Where's Mr Stoker's office?"

"It's this way."

She led them into his office, looking around in surprise.

"She's gone! She was here."

Rose patted her arm. "She wouldn't likely stick around the scene of the crime, right?"

The Doctor knelt down, examining Mr Stoker. "Drained him dry. Every last drop. I was right. She's a plasmavore."

His companion frowned. "What was she doing on Earth?"

"Hiding. On the run. Like Ronald Biggs in Rio de Janeiro. What's she doing now? She's still not safe. The Judoon could execute us all. Come on," he said, standing and taking her hand again.

"Wait a minute," Martha said. She moved to Mr. Stoker and closed his eyes, then left with the other two.

"Think, think, think. If I was a plasmavore surrounded by police, what would I do?" He grinned and looked at the MRI sign. "Aah. She's as clever as me. Almost."

They heard the Judoon down the hall. "Find the non-human. Execute."

He hesitated, staring at Rose for a moment, then glanced up at Martha. "Stay here. I need time. You're going to have to hold them up."

"How do we do that?"

Rose shook her head. "We've got this, Doctor. You do what you need to do, we'll distract them."

He frowned. "Rose, I…"

She kissed his cheek. "Go. We'll talk about it later."

After a moment, the Doctor nodded and headed into the MRI room, where the machine was making strange noises and Florence Finnegan was working with the controls.

He began babbling, "Have you seen - there are these things, those great big space rhino things, I mean rhinos from space. And we're on the moon. Great big space rhinos with guns on the moon. And I only came in for my bunions, look. They're all right now, perfectly good treatment, I said to my wife, I'd recommend this place to anyone, but then we end up on the moon. And did I mention the rhinos?"

"Hold him!" the woman said to the Slab, that immediately grabbed the Doctor.

In the hall, the Judoon walked into the corridor where Martha and Rose stood bravely waiting for them.

"Find the non-human. Execute."

"Now, listen," Martha said, trembling. "I know who you're looking for. She's this woman. She calls herself Florence."

The Judoon ignored her and examined Rose with his blue light.

"Human. With non-human traits suspected. Non-human element confirmed. Authorize full scan. What are you? What are you?"

It pushed her into the wall, while Martha watched in horror.

In the MRI room, Florence Finnegan was still fussing with the MRI machine, and it had started making strange noises.

"That thing, that big machine thing, is it supposed to be making that noise?" the doctor asked curiously.

"You wouldn't understand," the woman dismissed him.

"Isn't that a magnetic resonance imaging thing? Like a ginormous sort of a magnet? I did magnets at GCSE. Well, I failed, but all the same." He was trying to draw information out of her.

The woman looked down on him. "The magnetic setting is now set to 50,000 Tesla."

He blinked, feigning surprise. "Ooh. That's a bit strong, isn't it?"

"I can send out a magnetic pulse that will fry the brain-stems of every living thing within 250,000 miles. Except me, safe in this room," she cackled.

"But... hold on, hold on, I did geography for GCSE, I did pass that one, doesn't that distance include Earth?" And his Rose? This plasmavore was dangerously close to making him angry.

"Only the side facing the moon. The other half will survive. Call it my little gift," she shrugged carelessly.

He played the part of the simple human well, "I'm sorry, you'll have to forgive me, I'm a little out of my depth. I've spent the past fifteen years working as a postman, hence the bunions - why would you do that?"

"With everyone dead, the Judoon ships will be mine, to make my escape," she said simply.

He looked at her incredulously. "Now, that's weird. You're talking like you're some sort of an alien."

"Right-o," she saluted sarcastically.

"No!"

"Oh, yes."

He shook his head. "You're joshing me."

"I am not."

He laughed. "I'm talking to an alien? In hospital? What, has the place got an ET department?"

"It's the perfect hiding place. Blood banks downstairs for a midnight feast, and all this equipment I'm ready to arm myself with should the police come looking," she gestured to the MRI.

"So, those rhinos, they're looking for you?" He pressed her.

"Yes. But I'm hidden," she said confidently.

"Oh. Right! Maybe that's why they're increasing their scans," he nodded easily.

She stopped and turned around. "They're doing what?"

He nodded cheerfully. "Big chief rhino boy, he said, no sign of a non-human, we must increase our scans... up to setting two?"

She thought quickly, staring off into space. "Then I must assimilate again."

"Now what does that mean?"

"I must appear to be human."

He grinned at her. "Well, you're welcome to come home and meet the wife. She'd be honoured. We can have cake."

She smirked darkly. "Why should I have cake? I've got my little straw."

"That's nice. Milkshake? I like banana," now he was stalling for time.

"You're quite the funny man. And yet, I think, laughing on purpose at the darkness. I think it's time you found some peace. Steady him!"

"What are you doing?"

The Slab held him tightly and Florence approached with her straw.

"I'm afraid this is going to hurt," she said slowly. "But if it's any consolation, the dead don't tend to remember."

In another hall, the Judoon made a cross on Rose's hand.

"Confirmed: human. Traces of cellular mutation. Continue the search."

"Wait, the non human is in here!" Martha shouted, pointing to the MRI room.

They open the door and see Florence drinking the Doctor's blood with a straw. She squeaked and let him fall to the floor.

"Now see what you've done. This poor man just died of fright."

"Scan him!" the Judoon ordered. "Confirmation: deceased."

Rose cried out, rushing forward and falling next to him. "No, he can't be. Let me through, let me see him."

"Case closed," the Judoon said, starting to leave.

"But it was her," Martha announced. "She killed him. She did it. She murdered him."

The alien police paused to say, "The Judoon have no authority over human crime."

"But she's not human," the black woman argued.

Florence held up her right hand to show the black X on the back of it. "Oh, but I am. I've been catalogued."

"But she's not! She assimil- Wait a minute. You drank his blood. My Doctor's blood," Rose said, cradling his body to her. "Martha! Scan!"

Nodding her understanding, Martha grabbed a Judoon scanner and pointed it at the old woman, shining the blue light in her face.

With much amusement, the woman spread her hands. "Oh, all right. Scan all you like."

"Non-human."

Her amused expression fell. "What?"

"Confirm analysis."

She babbled desperately as she began to back away, Oh, but it's a mistake, surely. I'm human. I'm as human as they come."

"He gave his life so they'd find you," Martha said slowly, her heart twisting painfully for Rose.

"Confirmed: Plasmavore. I charge you with the crime of murdering the princess of Patrival Regency Nine."

Furious at being caught, Florence snarled, "She deserved it! Those pink cheeks and those blond curls and that simpering voice. She was begging for the bite of a plasmavore."

The Chief Judoon pointed a weapon at her. "Do you confess?"

"Confess?" the plasmavore laughed. "I'm proud of it! Slab - stop them!"

The Slab shot without hesitation, but the Judoon shot as well. The Slab disintegrated and the weapons were turned on Florence.

"Verdict: guilty. Sentence: execution."

On the MRI a warning sign light up: MAGNETIC OVERLOAD. Florence grinned like she'd won.

"Enjoy your victory, Judoon, because you're going to burn with me. Burn in hell!"

She screamed as they disintegrated her. Martha rushed over to Rose and the Doctor.

"Case closed."

The black woman looked to the Judoon. "What did she mean, "burn with me"? The scanner shouldn't be doing that. She's done something."

"Scans detect lethal acceleration of monomagnetic pulse," came the emotionless answer.

She panicked. "Well, do something! Stop it!"

"Our jurisdiction has ended. Judoon will evacuate."

"You can't just leave it!" she shouted at them. "What's it going to do?"

In the hall, they heard, "All units withdraw."

She turns back to Rose, desperately. "What are we going to do?"

Rose is staring at the doctor and doesn't seem to hear her.

"Rose!"

Martha bends to look at Rose, whose eyes seem to glow slightly. Gasping, she scrambled back.

"Wake up, my Doctor. I need you," she said softly to the man in her arms, breathing some kind of golden vapor into his mouth.

Martha was running out of air, and stayed slumped on the ground. The Doctor woke and started to cough, sitting up as Rose passes out behind him.

"The scanner..." Martha gasped. "She did something."

Trying to regain his clarity, the Doctor crawled to the MRI machine, and unplugged it. Turning to see Rose on the floor, he scooped her into his arms.

"Not again," he said softly. "Martha, can you walk at all?"

She nodded weakly and made it to her feet, following as the Doctor carried Rose down a corridor where patients and doctors alike were very weak or unconscious due to oxygen starvation. He looked out of the window at the Judoon ships.

"Come on, come on, come on. Come on, Judoon, reverse it." It began to rain and he smiled. "It's raining, my Rose. It's raining on the moon."

In a flash of white light, they disappeared, returning to the very spot they had been. Emergency workers rushed in and the Doctor slipped away with Rose while Martha sat, looking thoughtful, outside the hospital.

Inside the TARDIS, the Doctor took Rose into the med bay, then returned to set a destination for orbit for a little while. Then he returned to her just as she was beginning to wake up.

"You nearly scared me into regenerating," he told her with a tender smile, moving to cup her cheek with one hand.

"Shut up," she said cheekily. "You were dead. But she wasn't having it."

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I can't believe you channeled the power from the TARDIS from the earth to the moon."

She sat up. "I couldn't just let you go, not when I can help."

He sat next to her, wrapping an arm around her waist. "But we don't know yet what that does to you, my Rose. I don't want you risking your life just to save mine."

She looked at him with a frown. "You know you sound like an ass right now, right?"

He laughed and hugged her. "I am even happy to hear you call me that!"

She hugged him back. "What were you going to say, when you had to leave me in the hall?"

He pulled away slightly, eyes wide and a bit fearful. "Now, does it really need said just now?"

She pushed him away, feeling annoyed. "Yes, Doctor. I rather think it does. I think I've earned the right to hear it. I'm not just a companion anymore. Not a simple human," she held up the hand that was marked when she was catalogued. The black X meaning human was there, but the Judoon had circled hers, indicating her genetic mutation. "I gave up my family for you, for the world, and all I'm asking is that you have the guts to tell me what we're both feeling. So go on then."

The Doctor blinked at Rose, feeling a welling of pride in her. She really was special. He'd always known it. No one had spoken to him like that in centuries! Still… could he say those words with the meaning he hadn't given to any in nine lifetimes?

"I…"

She bit her lip, tears in her eyes. "If… if you can't tell me, I'm not leaving," she promised. "I promised you forever, Doctor. And forever is what I'm giving you. But, if you ever can bear to tell me… just know that I love you."

Rose turned to leave the med bay and head to her room, when he dashed forward and wrapped his arms around his beautiful, spirited Rose, his lips right next to her ear.

"I love you, my Rose. I do. Please don't doubt that. But quite frankly, it scares me more than anything ever has."

She turned to face him, hazel eyes shining. "Oh Doctor… my Doctor… please, say it again?"

He smiled, setting his forehead against hers. "Rose Tyler, I love you."

She kissed him, holding him tightly, laughing as he spun her around. After a moment, she blinked at him. "Oh!"

He looked at her. "What?"

"Martha! We should thank her. She did so well today."

The Doctor nodded, his brown eyes twinkling brighter than she'd ever seen. "Yes we should. Perhaps a trip?"

She giggled. "I was thinking just that!"

Later, they watched as a woman named Annalise stormed out of a pub, followed by Martha's family.

"I am not prepared to be insulted!" the blonde woman shouted.

"She didn't mean it, sweetheart. She just said you look healthy," a large bald man said, following her.

Martha's mother was the next out. "No, I did not. I said orange."

"Clive, that woman is disrespecting me. She's never liked me."

"Oh, I can't think why, after you stole my husband."

"I was seduced. I'm entirely innocent! Tell her, Clive!"

"And then she has a go at Martha, practically accused her of making the whole thing up."

The Doctor and Rose exchanged a look at the exchange, smiling a bit. They didn't make her miss her mum at all.

"Mum, I don't mind. Just leave it," Martha begged, stepping out into the street.

The bleached blonde woman pointed at the medical student. "Oh. "I've been to the moon!" As if. They were drugged. It said so on the news."

"Since when did you watch the news? You can't handle "Quiz Mania"," Martha's mother snapped.

The family continues arguing, getting louder and louder until the bleached blonde storms off and the rest of the family stormed back into the pub. Except one woman. Martha, distressed, saw the Doctor and Rose standing there on the corner, looking at her. The Doctor smiled and gave her a 'follow me' look before leading Rose down the alley. She followed him around the building.

She found them standing and leaning against the TARDIS, grinning. She noticed she was grinning back at them.

"I went to the moon today," she said with a smile.

The Doctor smirked. "A bit more peaceful than down here."

Rose shook her head. "Rude again."

Martha spread her hands. "You never even told me who you are."

He shrugged. "The Doctor."

Martha grinned companionably at Rose. "What sort of species? It's not every day I get to ask that."

"I'm a Time Lord."

"Right! Not pompous at all, then," she laughed.

Rose smiled up at him, feeling terribly happy to still be standing with him after everything they had been through together.

He grinned back at the woman he loved - imagine that he got to say that – and then at Martha. "Well, Rose thought since you saved our lives and I've just got a brand new sonic screwdriver which needs road testing, you might fancy a trip."

The woman blinked in surprise. "What, into space?"

"Well," Rose said vaguely.

"I can't. I've got exams. I've got things to do. I have to go into town first thing and pay the rent, I've got my family going mad..." She shook her head, but they could see she really wanted to say yes.

"If it helps, I can travel in time, as well," the Doctor said. "But I only ask each person once."

Rose elbowed him, but he just winked. "You were special, Rose. You still are."

"Get out of here," Martha narrowed her eyes in disbelief. "It does not."

"It does."

"Come on now, that's going too far," the woman insisted.

"I'll prove it," the Doctor said, releasing Rose and popping into the TARDIS.

Martha waved a hand in the empty space when the box disappeared and Rose laughed.

"After everything you've seen and done today, this is what surprises you?" she asked her with a wide grin.

The TARDIS returned and the Doctor stepped out, holding his tie in his hand.

"Told you!" he crowed.

"I know, but... that was this morning! But - Did you... Oh, my God! You can travel in time!" Martha exclaimed.

With a chuckle, the Doctor put his tie on again.

"But hold on," the black woman asked. "If you could see me this morning, why didn't you tell me not to go in to work?"

"Crossing into established events is strictly forbidden. Except for cheap tricks," the Doctor replied waggling his eyebrows.

"And that's your spaceship?"

"Oh, she's more than that," Rose protested. "She's also our home."

He couldn't resist the manic grin as she said that. Strange how a man that didn't do domestic was looking forward to sharing everything he had with a human woman. To Martha he said, "It's called the TARDIS. Time and Relative Dimension in Space.

"Your spaceship's made of wood. There's not much room. We'd be a bit intimate," the other woman said, still waffling.

The Doctor pushed the door open. "Take a look."

She went inside, and Rose made to follow her, but the Doctor held her back.

"Wait, this is my favorite part," he said softly to her.

Martha looks around and runs out again.

"Oh, no, no," she said in an incredulous tone, running all around the box, trailing her hands over the wooden exterior. "But it's just a box. But it's huge. How does it do that? It's wood."

As if to prove her words, she knocked on it, then ran back in.

"Now go in," the Doctor laughed with Rose.

Martha whirled on them as they entered. "It's like a box with that room just rammed in. It's bigger on the inside."

Having echoed the last line with her, the Doctor looked shocked. "Is it? I hadn't noticed. Did you notice anything strange like that, my Rose?"

She shut the door, laughing. "Not even a little, give me your coat before you treat her like a coat rack again."

He'd just taken his coat off, preparing to throw it aside over one of the coral branches. Instead he sheepishly hands it to Rose, who takes it over to the side where she has several jackets in one neat place. "All right, then, let's get going."

"But is there a crew?" Martha asked, taking it all in like a kid in a candy store. "Like a navigator and stuff? Where is everyone?"

"It's just us," the Doctor answered.

"All on your own?" she said, moving toward the complicated controls.

He shrugged. "Well, sometimes we have guests. It was just me for a long time, then I started to pick up some friends, travelling alongside here and there. Now I have - there was recently a friend of mine who told me forever and actually is going to really give me that. My lovely Rose. And... we'll stay together... Anyway!" He coughed and busied himself with the controls, the conversation getting entirely too emotional for his liking.

Martha looked at Rose. "But, what about your family? Do they know where you are? Are you ever going back? Where they right now?"

Rose smiled a bit sadly. "They… have their own life. But they're happy. They're fine."

The woman thought of her own family, dysfunctional as they were, and frowned at the thought of leaving them behind forever. "Do you ever visit them?"

The blonde woman shook her head. "I can't. It's a long, rather sad story. But I have the Doctor, and that's more than enough trouble for any woman."

"Oi!" he called out, pretending to be insulted. "Right. Martha Jones, you're a bad influence on her. You're just getting one trip to say 'thanks', then back home. I'll not have you corrupting my Rose!"

The women both laughed and he grinned at them.

"So really, what's the deal with you two?" Martha asked.

"What do you mean?" the Doctor asked.

"Well, were you just pretending to be married?"

"Of course," he said easily, adjusting something.

"But you're together?"

Rose tipped her head, her trademark tongue in teeth grin in place. "Why, you interested?"

"Now... don't!" he all but begged. "Rose, really, must you?"

"Sometimes, love," she told him. "If you would rather not be mine…"

He shot her a pained look from around the console.

Martha laughed, enjoying the teasing atmosphere that they had. "For the record? I'm not remotely interested. I only go for humans."

"Good," the Doctor said, sticking his tongue out at the woman he loved. "Well, then. Close down the gravitic anomalizer. Fire up the helmic regulator. And finally - the hand brake. Ready?"

"No," their guest said, feeling her heart rise in her throat from the excitement.

"Off we go."

He pulled the hand brake and the TARDIS jolted and shook. He fell, while Martha and Rose barely managed to hold on.

"Blimey, it's a bit bumpy," the medical student commented.

"Welcome aboard, Miss Jones," Rose smiled at her, shaking her hand.

"It's my pleasure, Mr. and Mrs. Smith."

_A/N: There is yet another episode rewritten to dance along to the mantra in my head. Hope you enjoyed it and that you continue reading, not to mention reviewing! Your reviews make me the happiest obsessed woman in the universe! Honestly, it wouldn't be nearly as much fun to write these without your responses and input! So keep me happy and hit that little button below!_


	4. 0302 The Shakespeare Code

Season Three "The Shakespeare Code"

The Doctor turned a wheeled control while Martha held on to the console to remain steady. From a door somewhere to the right, Rose comes out with what looked like a bag of biscuits. Martha stared at her incredulously.

"Are you eating?" she asked in shock.

Rose nodded. "I'm hungry. Spent all day with hospital food, didn't I?"

"But… but the bumping and tipping…?"

The other woman shrugged. "Get used to it, really. But I bet she'd fly nicer, if a certain Doctor acted nicer."

He grinned at her, not answering the old argument, and she made her way to him, popping a biscuit in his mouth.

"But how do you travel in time? What makes it go?" Martha queried then.

He chewed and swallowed before saying in a slightly reprimanding tone, "Oh, let's take the fun and mystery out of everything. Martha, you don't wanna know. It just does. Hold on tight!"

He practically climbed onto the console. There was a vicious thump of a landing, that knocked Martha to the floor and caused the Doctor to fall off the console. Only Rose remained standing, braced against the rail with one foot on the console and the bag of snacks in her hand.

Martha climbed to her feet. "Blimey! Do you have to pass a test to fly this thing?"

"Yes, and I failed it," he said cheerfully. He grabbed his coat. "Now, make the most of it. I promised you one trip and one trip only. Outside this door... Brave new world."

Rose closed the bag and set it on the console, moving to grab Martha's jacket and one for herself.

"Where are we?" the new traveler asked excitedly, slipping her jacket on as the Doctor stood by the door.

"Take a look," he told her, opening the door. "After you."

He stopped Rose for a kiss, still amazed that he was allowed to do that whenever he wanted, and they followed Martha outside and onto an Elizabethan street at night with people milling about.

Their new friend was amazed. "Oh, you are kidding me. You are so kidding me. Oh, my God! We did it. We travelled in time. Where are we? No, sorry. I gotta get used to this whole new language. When are we?"

The Doctor looked up and tugged the excited woman back as from a first floor window and man dumped the contents of a bucket. Rose wrinkled her nose.

"Mind the loo!" the man yelled.

"Somewhere before the invention of the toilet. Sorry about that," the Doctor grimaced.

Undaunted by the near soiling, Martha shrugged. "I've seen worse. I've worked the late night shift at A&E. But are we safe? I mean, can we move around and stuff?"

Rose tipped her head. "Of course we can. We do it all the time. Why do you ask?"

The black woman shrugged. "It's like in the films. You step on a butterfly; you change the future of the human race."

The Doctor looked highly amused. "Well, tell you what then, don't step on any butterflies. What have butterflies ever done to you?"

Rose smacked his arm. "Don't tease her."

They started walking down the street.

"What if, I dunno, what if I kill my grandfather?"

"You planning to?" the Doctor teased further.

"No."

"Well, then," he looked at Rose, squeezing her hand slightly as they walked along. "We're traveling with a hypothetical murderer. Butterflies and old men be warned."

Rose laughed. "I better keep an eye on you, then. You're the oldest man I know."

He gave her a playfully dark look.

"This is London," Martha exclaimed.

The Doctor nodded in agreement. "I think so. Right about 1599."

Martha paused, looking at them with a tremor of apprehension. "Oh, but hold on. Am I all right? I'm not gonna get carted off as a slave, am I?"

Rose gave a start of surprise, asking with a frown, "Why would they do that?"

Her friend gestured to her skin. "Not exactly white, in case you haven't noticed."

The Doctor shrugged with a grin. "I'm not even human. Just walk about like you own the place. Works for me. Besides, you'd be surprised. Elizabethan England, not so different from your time. Look over there."

There was a man shoveling manure and the Doctor said, "They've got recycling."

Rose giggled and joined in, pointing at two men conversing at a water barrel. "There's a water cooler moment."

Next they walked past a man preaching about the end of the world.

"... and the world will be consumed by flame!"

Martha finally grinned as well. "Let me guess, global warming?"

The three of them laughed at their jokes.

"Oh, yes," the Doctor agreed. "And... entertainment! Popular entertainment for the masses. If I'm right, we're just down the river by Southwark right next to... Oh, yes, the Globe Theatre! Brand new. Just opened. Through, strictly speaking, it's not a globe; it's a tetradecagon — 14 sides — containing the man himself."

They rounded the corner and stood facing the most famous theater in all of London.

"Whoa, you don't mean... is Shakespeare in there?" Martha asked breathlessly.

"Oh, yes. Miss Jones, will you accompany us to the theatre?"

"Yes, Mr. Smith, I will," she beamed.

Rose mirrored her smile, leaning against the Doctor happily. "When you get home, you can tell everyone you've seen Shakespeare."

The other woman laughed. "Then I could get sectioned!"

"Well, so long as you have a plan," the blonde chuckled as they entered the building.

The performance was amazing, the actors having a cadence and comfort with the formal stanzas as was rarely seen in modern times. The house was packed, everyone applauding and cheering as the actors were onstage taking their bows.

Martha was chattering about the experience. "That's amazing! Just amazing. It's worth putting up with the smell. And those are men dressed as women, yeah."

"London never changes," the Doctor commented, innocently smiling when Rose turned a look at him.

The woman next to them could hardly contain herself. "Where's Shakespeare? I wanna see Shakespeare. Author! Author!"

The Doctor and Rose looked at her.

Worried she'd done something wrong, she asked, "Do people shout that? Do they shout "Author"?"

Another man in the crowd near them picked up the chant and it soon spread.

"Well... they do now."

Shakespeare came out and took an exaggerated bow, blowing kisses to the crowd. Naturally, the audience went wild and cheered even louder.

"He's a bit different from his portraits," Martha said, staring at the man on the stage.

The Doctor began talking to Rose about the man before them, getting a bit carried away, as always. "Genius. He's a genius - THE genius. The most human Human that's ever been. Now we're gonna hear him speak. Always, he chooses the best words. New, beautiful, brilliant words."

To their surprise, the laughing words from the wordsmith were, "Shut your big fat mouths!"

The audience laughed, obviously this was a normal thing to hear from the bard.

The crestfallen face of the Doctor reminded Rose of a little boy who lost his puppy. He simply said, "Oh, well."

"You should never meet your heroes," Martha nodded solemnly.

It appeared the playwright wasn't done showing off for the audience, as he said arrogantly, "You have excellent taste! I'll give you that. Oh, that's a wig! I know what you're all saying. 'Loves Labour's Lost', that's a funny ending, isn't it? It just stops! Will the boys get the girls? Well, don't get your hose in a tangle, you'll find out soon. Yeah, yeah. All in good time. You don't rush a genius." He bowed. "When? Tomorrow night. The premiere of my brand new play. A sequel, no less, and I call it 'Loves Labour's Won'!"

The audience applauded loudly and the Doctor frowned. The three of them left the theatre with the rest of the crowd. Rose kept glancing at him in concern.

"I'm not an expert, but I've never heard of 'Loves Labour's Won'," Martha said, looking at them.

Thoughtfully, the Doctor said, "Exactly — the lost play. It doesn't exist — only in rumours. It's mentioned in lists of his plays but never ever turns up. No one knows why."

Martha grinned, not quite serious. "Have you got a mini-disk or something? We could tape it. We can flog it. Sell it when we get home and make a mint."

"No," the Doctor said instantly, exchanging a look with Rose.

Rose shook her head. "Definitely not."

"That would be bad?" the woman guessed.

"Very bad," Rose assured her.

"Well, how come it disappeared in the first place?" she wanted to know.

"Well, I was just gonna give you a quick little trip in the TARDIS but I suppose we could stay a bit longer."

His love grabbed his arm, eyes shining. "Oh, yes, Doctor. Let's find out what happened to it!"

Bowing with a dramatic flourish, he assured her, "If that is what milady wishes, that is what milady shall have!"

Rose shook her head. "Oh dear. Perhaps not, if it's going to do that to you."

Martha couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled out at the insulted look on the Doctor's face, and Rose grinned.

"Gotcha."

He shook his head, pulling her to his side. "Too late now, you're stuck with me!"

They laughed merrily as they moved out to find out about their new mystery.

A bit later, the Doctor knocked on a door, letting himself into a room where Shakespeare sat talking to two men. "Hello! Excuse me! I'm not interrupting, am I? Mr. Shakespeare, isn't it?"

The author shook his head. "Oh no, no, no, no. Who let you in? No autographs. No, you can't have yourself sketched with me. And please don't ask where I get my ideas from. Thanks for the interest. Now be a good boy and shove-"

Martha and Rose peeked out from behind the doctor, looking around the room.

The man brightened, "Hey, nonny nonny. Sit right down here next to me. You two get sewing on them costumes. Off you go."

The barmaid grinned and shook her head. "Come on, lads. I think our William's found his new muse, or muses in this case."

Martha and Rose scooted around the Doctor, the latter winking at him.

The author grinned at the ladies as they sat at the table, "Sweet ladies. Such unusual clothes. So... fitted."

Unsure how she was supposed to talk to a man from the 16th century, Martha stumbled, "Um, verily, forsooth, egads."

Cringing, the Doctor said, "No, no, don't do that. Don't." He held out the psychic paper to Shakespeare. "I'm Sir Doctor of TARDIS and this is my wife, Rose, and her companion, Miss Martha Jones."

Rose beamed at him when he said wife, and his hearts jumped a bit. What if he… no, it would be silly of him to think that. But what if it wasn't silly? Would she…? The words of the Bard shook him back to reality.

"Interesting, that bit of paper. It's blank."

"Oh, that's... very clever. That proves it. Absolute genius," the Doctor said, impressed.

Martha looked at the paper. "No, it says so right there. Sir Doctor, Dame Rose, Martha Jones. It says so."

Shakespeare smirked at her. "And I say it's blank."

"Psychic paper. It says whatever the holder wants the other person to see," Rose explained to their friend.

The Doctor put the psychic paper away.

"Psychic," Shakespeare repeated. "Never heard that before and words are my trade. Who are you exactly? More's the point, since the golden beauty is obviously spoken for, who is your delicious blackamoor lady?"

Martha tensed. "What did you say?"

Obviously not feeling he's really misspoken, he continues, "Oops. Isn't that a word we use nowadays? An Ethiop girl? A swarth? A Queen of Afric..."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this."

Rose patted Martha's arm, an understanding smile on her face.

"It's political correctness gone mad," the Doctor said, trying to defuse the culture clash. "Um, Martha's from a far-off land. Freedonia."

A man burst into the room. "Excuse me! Hold hard a moment. This is abominable behaviour. A new play with no warning? I demand to see a script, Mr Shakespeare. As Master of the Revels, every new script must be registered at my office and examined by me before it can be performed."

Easily, the author promised, "Tomorrow morning, first thing, I'll send it 'round."

The Master of Revels puffed up in his annoyance. "I don't work to your schedule, you work to mine. The script, now!"

Maintaining an even tone, the writer simply said, "I can't."

"Then tomorrow's performance is cancelled!" the man before them announced.

"It's all go, 'round here, isn't it?" Martha murmured.

"I'm returning to my office for a banning order. If it's the last thing I do, 'Love's Labours Won' will never be played."

The man left, as abruptly as he came.

A bit sad that their mystery is so easily and quickly solved, Martha said, "Well, then... mystery solved. That's 'Love's Labours Won' over and done with. Thought it might be something more, you know... more mysterious."

They heard screaming from outside rushed out to the street where Lynley is spitting up water.

"It's that Lynley bloke," Rose said.

"What's wrong with him? Leave it to me— I'm a doctor," the Doctor announced, striding toward the man.

Martha gaped. "So am I – near enough."

Rose hung back a bit with Shakespeare. Down in the street, Lynley fell to the ground. The Doctor stood and ran to look down the street.

Martha listened for heartbeat and breathing. "Gotta get the heart going. Mr Lynley, c'mon, can you hear me? You're gonna be all right."

She prepared to start mouth-to-mouth as the Doctor returned and water gushed from Lynley's mouth.

"What the hell is that?" Martha gasped, jerking back.

The Doctor frowned. "I've never seen a death like it. His lungs are full of water — he drowned and then... I dunno, like a blow to the heart, an invisible blow." He stood and addressed the barmaid from earlier. "Good mistress, this poor fellow has died from a sudden imbalance of the humours. A natural if unfortunate demise. Call a constable and have him taken away."

"Yes, sir."

"I'll do it, ma'am," the maid said.

The Doctor crouched back down beside the body.

"And why are you telling them that?" Martha asked him, scowling at the ridiculous diagnosis.

The Doctor answered as Rose moved to his side. "This lot still have got one foot in the Dark Ages. If I tell them the truth, they'll panic and think it was witchcraft."

"What was it then?" Rose asked him.

"Witchcraft."

Martha and Rose shared a look of disbelief. After the excitement in the street, the returned to the inn, deciding it was better if they stayed close to whatever was happening rather than return to the TARDIS for the evening. The barmaid who'd been helping them was also the housekeeper for the inn. "I got you and your lady wife a room, Sir Doctor. Miss Jones, you are just across the landing."

"Thank you, Dolly," Rose said, having gotten the woman's name.

Dolly smiled and bobbed a quick curtsey, heading back downstairs.

Shakespeare, who hadn't left them just yet, sighed. "Poor Lynley. So many strange events. Not least of all, this land of Freedonia where a woman can be a doctor?"

"Where a woman can do what she likes," Martha corrected a bit smugly.

Rose winked at her, holding up a fist and mouthing "girl power" to her friend who returned the gesture with a wink of her own.

The author turned. "And you, Sir Doctor. How can a happily married man so young have eyes so old? Surely your Rose doesn't have you so beleaguered?"

"Quite the opposite, I assure you, friend," the Doctor said lightly, hugging Rose to him. "I do a lot of reading."

Rose snuggled into his arms, quite liking any reason to be held against him.

"A trite reply. Yeah, that's what I'd do." He looked at Martha. "And you, you look at him like you're surprised he exists. He's as much of a puzzle to you as he is to me. At least his lady is at ease with him. Really though, the golden aura behind her eyes is just as puzzling as anything else I've seen this day."

"I think we should say good night," Martha said slowly, seeing the alarm in Rose's eyes.

The black woman headed into her room at this.

Staring after her a moment, the Bard nodded. "I must work. I have a play to complete. But I'll get my answers tomorrow, Doctor, and I'll discover more about you and why this constant performance of yours."

Pausing at the doorway, after ushering Rose inside, the Doctor said, "All the world's a stage."

"Hm, I might use that. Good night, Doctor."

"Nighty-night, Shakespeare."

Rose was examining their room when the Doctor entered.

"It's not exactly the TARDIS, is it?"

"Oh, it'll do. I've seen worse. At least we're here together."

She beamed at him again, moving to hug him. "So, who's going where? I mean, there's only one bed."

"We'll manage. C'mon," he said easily, flopping onto the bed.

"So, magic and stuff. That's a surprise. Usually it's some kind of alien technology we're up against," she said slowly, considering this new development. "But is it real, though? I mean, witches, black magic and all that, it's real?"

"'Course it isn't!" he said, looking surprised she even asked. "Looks like witchcraft, but it isn't. Can't be. Are you gonna stand there all night?"

Rose shook herself and sat on the bed next to him. "Budge up a bit, then. Sorry, there's not much room. Us two here, same bed. Tongues will wag."

"Of course they won't, we're meant to be married," the Doctor said as she lay down. "There's such a thing as psychic energy but a human couldn't channel it like that. Not without a generator the size of Taunton and I think we'd have spotted that. No. There's something I'm missing, Rose. Something really close, staring me right in the face and I can't see it."

She turned to face him, their faces only inches away. "Well, how can we open your eyes?"

He grinned at her. "I've been a bit distracted lately."

Rose blinked coyly. "Really? What could possibly be distracting you?"

He pulled her to him, kissing her fiercely and she melted into his embrace. Needing air after a bit, she pulled back.

"That's not going to figure out our mystery," she teased quietly.

"Still fun," he whispered, pulling her close again.

They were pleasantly engaged for quite some time, and when Rose finally fell asleep, she was wrapped in the Doctor's arms curled on his chest. He never slept much, but he lay there smiling happily as he watched her. He'd just about made up his mind that he was going to propose to this beautiful woman. After all, they lived together in the TARDIS, she gave up everything just to be with him, they had proven they were willing to lay down their lives for each other, and he had absolutely no intention of ever letting her go again… not to mention that he loved her, and she loved him. The way she'd lit up when he called her his wife made him wish in that moment it had been true. He stroked her hair hours after her breathing had evened out.

When a scream ripped through the quiet early morning, her hazel eyes flew open and they only stared at each other breathlessly for a half second before scurrying out of bed and running toward the scream. They were followed closely by Martha who noticed their rumpled appearance, but chose not to comment. The doctor was missing his overcoat, and suit coat, and tie, which didn't seem to phase him, and Rose was in a tank top, her jacket lying somewhere in their room.

They burst into Shakespeare's room, waking him when they entered and stopped to examine Dolly's body.

"Wha'? What was that?" he asked, mind still foggy.

Martha ran to the window where she saw the silhouette of a witch on a broom flying in the sky.

"Her heart gave out. She literally died of fright," the Doctor said grimly. That was two deaths now.

"Doctor? Rose?" Martha said, voice trembling.

Rose moved to the woman's side at the window. "What did you see?"

"A witch," she said, not even believing herself.

The group didn't leave the room until dawn was beginning to break. When the cock crowed that morning, Martha and Shakespeare sat at the author's desk, while the Doctor sat holding Rose on a small sofa opposite.

"Oh, sweet Dolly Bailey," Shakespeare lamented. "She sat out three bouts of the plague in this place. We all ran like rats. But what could have scared her so? She had such enormous spirit."

"Rage, rage against the dying of the light," the Doctor murmured.

"I might use that," the wordsmith said softly.

"You can't. It's someone else's," he said.

Rose smiled up at him. He was always the same, her Doctor.

Martha was trying to work out why two people had died that night. "But the thing is, Lynley drowned on dry land, Dolly died of fright and they were both connected to you."

The author looked at her, surprised. "You're accusing me?"

She shook her head. "No, but I saw a witch, big as you like, flying, cackling away, and you've written about witches."

"I have? When was that?"

The Doctor looked up at her sharply and spoke in a low, warning tone, "Not, not quite yet."

"Peter Streete spoke of witches," Shakespeare said thoughtfully.

"Who's Peter Streete?" Martha asked, grateful for the slight change in the conversation.

The author looked surprised that they didn't know. "Our builder. He sketched the plans to the Globe."

"The architect. Hold on. The architect! The architect!" the Doctor jumped to his feet, startling everyone. "The Globe! Come on!"

He rushed off, pausing only to grab Rose's hand. Martha and Shakespeare rushed after them. When they arrived, the Doctor left the three of them on the stage and jumped into the pit. He looked around, pointing out various things, mostly to Rose who had been with him long enough to learn something of the universe and had been his sounding board for several years now.

"The columns there, right? 14 sides. I've always wondered but I never asked... tell me, Will, why 14 sides?"

The man shrugged his shoulders, at a loss to the true reason. "It was the shape Peter Streete thought best, that's all. Said it carried the sound well."

The Doctor paced. "Why does that ring a bell? 14…"

"There are 14 lines in a sonnet," Martha suggested helpfully.

Rose tipped her head thoughtfully, trying to remember where she'd heard the number recently.

"So there is. Good point. Words and shapes following the same design. Fourteen lines, 14 sides, 14 facets…Oh, my head. Tetradecagon... think, think, think! Words, letters, numbers, lines!"

"This is just a theatre," Shakespeare said lamely, wondering if that was even true.

"Oh, but a theatre's magic, isn't it?" the Doctor asked him with a grin. "You should know. Stand on this stage, say the right words with the right emphasis a the right time... Oh, you can make men weep, or cry with joy, change them. You can change people's minds just with words in this place. And if you exaggerate that..."

"It's like you're police box. Small wooden box with all that POWER inside," Martha mused.

"Oh. Oh, Martha Jones, I like you," Rose beamed at the other woman. "Doctor, she's good!"

He grinned. "Tell you what, though. Peter Streete would know. Can we talk to him?"

The bard hesitated. "You won't get an answer. A month after finishing this place... lost his mind."

"Why? What happened?" Rose asked, immediately concerned for the well being of a stranger.

"Started raving about witches, hearing voices, babbling. His mind was addled."

The Doctor leapt back onto the stage, looking at Shakespeare. "Where is he now?"

"Bedlam."

Martha shook her head. "What's Bedlam?"

The writer stared at them, not quite as shocked by their lack of knowledge as he'd been before. "Bethlem Hospital. The madhouse."

"We're gonna go there. Right now. Come on," the Doctor declared, grabbing Rose's hand.

Their traveling partner had begun to associate his taking her hand like that as the sign they'd be off an moving soon, and usually at a quick pace. She wasn't disappointed this time, and Martha followed the quick step of the Doctor as did Shakespeare after a moment.

"Wait!" he called. "I'm coming with you. I want to witness this at first hand!"

In the street, Martha and Shakespeare fell into step together behind Rose and the Doctor.

Rose glanced back at them before speaking to the Doctor. "He seems quite taken with her."

The Doctor nodded. "Too bad he's married. Martha wouldn't care for being a mistress."

"He's married?!" Rose hissed. "Then why's he flirting with everyone else? Don't men take their vows seriously?!"

"Some do," he said, oddly serious at that. "I would..."

He stopped, seeing Martha getting upset with the playwright.

"Come on. We can all have a good flirt later," he said, urging the other two forward.

The Bard gave him a suggestive look. "Is that a promise, Doctor?"

"Oh, 57 academics just punched the air. Now move!"

Rose fell into step with him again and sighed. "I miss Jack."

The Doctor shot a look at her and turned away again. One of these days he was going to have to tell her...

They found Bedlam easy enough, and with the psychic paper, were soon on their way to speak with the architect. Loud screams and moans filled the air as the little group was led through through the corridor.

The Jailer seemed eager to please the Doctor, and offered him the sort of service he usually offered men of high station who found their way into the halls. "Does my lord, Doctor, wish some entertainment while he waits? I'd whip these madmen. They'll put on a good show for ya. Bandog and Bedlam!"

The Doctor was horrified by the mental image and snapped, "No, I don't!"

As though sensing that mistake, he bowed a bit. "Wait here, my lords, while I make him decent for the ladies, if they insist on entering."

He walked away, trying to make up for his slip.

Martha snarled at the treatment of the patients. All her medical training cringed at the treatment of the patients. "So this is what you call a hospital, yeah? Where the patients are whipped to entertain the gentry? And you put your friend in here?"

"Oh, and it's all so different in Freedonia," the writer snapped.

"But you're clever!" she tried to reason. "Do you honestly think this place is any good?"

He shook his head with a dark expression. "I've been mad. I've lost my mind. Fear of this place set me right again. It serves its purpose."

"Mad in what way?" Rose wondered.

"He lost his son," the Doctor told her, his tone soft and respectful.

"Oh that's awful," she cried.

The writer closed his eyes against the pain. "My only boy. The Black Death took him. I wasn't even there."

"I didn't know. I'm sorry," Martha said, fidgeting.

"It made me question everything. The futility of this fleeting existence. To be or not to be... oh, that's quite good."

"You should write that down," the Doctor told him.

"Hm, maybe not. A bit pretentious?"

The jailer called from Peter Street's cell. "This way, m'lord!"

They moved down the hall and the jailer unlocked the door, letting them in.

"They can be dangerous, m'lord. Don't know their own strength," the jailer warned. "Might not be real safe for your ladies."

The Doctor looked at him coldly. "I think it helps if you don't whip them! Now get out!"

The man scurried for the door and the Doctor approached Peter slowly.

"Peter? Peter Streete?"

"He's the same as he was. You'll get nothing out of him," Shakespeare said, saddened for his friend.

Rose moved to the man's side, and laid a hand on Peter's shoulder. "Peter?"

Peter's head jerked up and he looks between the woman and the Doctor with wild, glassy eyes and seemed like he wanted to speak.

The Doctor put his hands on either side of the man's face, glancing at Rose, who nodded at him, leaving her hand on Peter's shoulder.

He spoke, "Peter, I'm the Doctor. Go into the past, one year ago. Let your mind go back, back to when everything was fine and shining. Everything that happened in this year since happened to somebody else. It was just a story. A winter's tale. Let go. Listen. That's it, just let go." He lay the man down on his cot, Rose taking his hand. "Tell me the story, Peter. Tell me about the witches."

When the man began speaking, his voice was almost childlike, afraid, and trying to tell them before he couldn't. "Witches spoke to Peter. In the night, they whispered. Got Peter to build the Globe to their design. THEIR design! The 14 walls — always 14. When the work was done they sapped poor Peter's wits."

He laughed, and the humans in the cells shivered.

The Doctor pressed on. "Where did Peter see the witches? Where in the city? Peter, tell me. You've got to tell me where were they?"

The poor man trembled. "All Hallows Street."

A wrinkled hag appeared next to the doctor, "Too many words."

He stood and pulled Rose away from the witch, his arms going around her protectively.

"What the hell?" Martha exclaimed.

"Just one touch of the heart," the hag said with a vicious grin as she reached out and touched the man's chest.

The Doctor jumped forward. "Noooo!"

"Ahhhhh!" Peter screamed out and died.

"Witch! I'm seeing a witch!" Shakespeare gasped.

"Who would be next, hmm? Just one touch. Oh, oh, I'll stop your frantic hearts. Poor, fragile mortals," the witch cackled, advancing on them.

"Let us out! Let us out!" Martha screamed at the door.

"That's not gonna work," Rose said quietly. "The whole building's shouting that."

"Who will die first, hmm?" the witch asked, turning toward Rose first.

The Doctor saw her intent and hurriedly stepped forward. "Well, if you're looking for volunteers."

"No! Don't!" Martha shouted at him.

The playwright asked, "Doctor, can you stop her?"

The witch scoffed. "No mortal has power over me."

The Time Lord smirked. "Oh, but there's a power in words. If I can find the right one — if I can just know you..."

"None on Earth has knowledge of us!"

"Then it's a good thing I'm here. Now think, think, think... Humanoid female, uses shapes and words to channel energy... ah, 14! That's it! 14! The 14 stars of the Rexel planetary configuration! Creature, I name you Carrionite!"

He pointed at her as he said it and the creature wailed at being thwarted before disappearing.

Martha gaped. "What did you do?"

"I named her," he answered, taking Rose into his arms again. "The power of a name. That's old magic."

"But you said there's no such thing as magic," Rose said to him, hugging him tight.

"Well, it's just a different sort of science. You lot, you chose mathematics. Given the right string of numbers, the right equation, you can split the atom. Carrionites use words instead."

Shakespeare stared at the body of a man who had been a friend. "Use them for what?"

"The end of the world," the Doctor replied flatly.

Later, when they had returned to the inn, the Doctor was explaining a few things to the other three as they prepared for that evening's play.

"The Carrionites disappeared way back at the dawn of the universe. Nobody was sure if they were real or legend."

The author almost laughed. "Well, I'm going for real."

Martha shook her head. "But what do they want?"

"Same thing all the alien invaders we meet want," Rose said a bit bitterly. "A new empire on Earth."

The Doctor sat next to her, taking her hand. "A world of bones and blood and witchcraft."

"But how?" the black woman asked, horrified at the mental image they provoked.

The Doctor turned to face Shakespeare, "I'm looking at the man with the words."

"Me? But I've done nothing," the playwright exclaimed.

"Hold on, though. What were you doing last night, when that Carrionite was in the room?" Rose asked, sitting up straight.

"Finishing the play."

"What happens on the last page?" the Doctor asked him, catching onto his Rose's thought.

Shakespeare shrugged. "The boys get the girls. They have a bit of a dance. It's all as funny and thought provoking as usual — except those last few lines. Funny thing is... I don't actually remember writing them."

The Doctor jumped to his feet. "That's it. They used you. They gave you the final words. Like a spell, like a code. 'Love's Labours Won' — it's a weapon! The right combination of words, spoken at the right place with the shape of the Globe as an energy converter! The play's the thing! And yes, you can have that."

Rose moves to the desk and pulled out a map, looking it over."There, All Hallows Street. Martha and I can track them down. Doctor, you get to the Globe."

"I think not," the Doctor said darkly. "You really think I'm going to let you do that?"

"We have to…"

He pulled her to his chest and kissed her possessively, leaving her knees just a bit wobbly.

"Rose, I'm going with you to confront the Carrionites. Our new friend Will can stop his own play."

The Bard nodded. "I'll do it. All these years I've been the cleverest man around. Next to you, I know nothing."

Martha teased him a bit. "Oh, don't complain."

He shook his head with a grin. "I'm not. It's marvellous. Good luck, Doctor."

The Time Lord nodded and gave the human man a small smile. "Good luck, Shakespeare. Once more unto the breach!"

The author smiled. "I like that. Wait a minute... that's one of mine."

Just before the Doctor pulled her out the door, Rose winked. "Oh, just shift!"

The three time travelers ran at full tilt through the streets until they found the one they'd been searching for.

"All Hallows Street, but which house?" the Doctor asked, looking around.

Martha shook her head, "The thing is, though... am I missing something here? The world didn't end in 1599. It just didn't. Look at me — I'm living proof."

The Doctor frowned. "Oh, how to explain the mechanics of the infinite temporal flux?"

Rose patted his arm. "No fear, love. I know! 'Back to the Future'! It's like 'Back to the Future'!"

"The film?" he blinked.

She laughed. "No, the novelisation. Yes, the film. Marty McFly goes back and changes history."

Martha grinned. "Love that film. Classic. And he starts fading away… Oh my God, am I gonna fade?"

"You and the entire future of the human race," the Doctor confirmed. "It ends right now in 1599 if we don't stop it. But which house?"

A door slowly opens.

"Make that WITCH house," Rose said, pointing.

They enter the house, finding the maid from the inn standing there.

The doctor raised an eyebrow. "I take it we're expected."

"Oh, I think Death has been waiting for you a very long time," the woman said softly.

"Right then, it's my turn," Martha said, stepping forward and pointing at the woman. I know how to do this. I name thee, Carrionite!"

The woman just stood there, tipping her head in cold amusement.

"What did I do wrong? Was it the finger?" she asked.

"The power of a name works only once. Observe," the witch said smugly, lifting her hand to point at Martha. "I gaze upon this bag of bones and now I name thee Martha Jones."

Martha collapsed instantly and the Doctor caught her and lowered her to the ground.

"What have you done?" he asked in a horrified tone.

"Only sleeping, alas. Curious, the name has less impact. She's somehow out of her time. And as for you, Sir Doctor!" She pointed, expecting a reaction. "Fascinating. There is no name. Why would a man hide his title in such despair? Oh, but look. There's still one word with the power that aches."

"The naming won't work on me."

Rose reached for him, not liking where this was going at all.

"But your heart grows cold. The north wind blows and carries down the distant... Rose," the named woman gave a soft cry and collapsed also.

The Doctor spun, his eyes glowing with a fierce fire. How DARE this creature attack his Rose?!

He turned to the witch, "Oh, big mistake 'cos that name will forever keep me fighting! The Carrionites vanished! Where did you go?"

"The Eternals found the right word to banish us into deep darkness," the Carrionite sneered.

"And how did you escape?"

"New words. New and glittering from a mind like no other," she grinned triumphantly.

"Shakespeare," he said.

Rose stirred a bit, a warmth spreading throughout her extremities.

"His son perished," the witch said. "The grief of a genius. Grief without measure. Madness enough to allow us entrance."

"How many of you?" the Doctor asked, looking for something to stop her.

"Just the three. But the play tonight shall restore the rest. Then the human race will be purged as pestilence. And from this world we will lead the universe back to the old ways of blood and magic."

"Hmm... busy schedule... but first you gotta get past me."

Rose opened her eyes to see the Doctor standing almost nose-to-nose with the Carrionite. Her eyes swirled with the gold of Bad Wolf.

The witch cooed seductively and trailed her fingers down the side of his face. "Oh, that should be a pleasure considering my enemy has such a handsome shape."

Rose was insanely happy when the Doctor chuckled. "Now, that's one form of magic that's definitely not gonna work on me."

The woman on the floor rolled over.

"Oh, we'll see," the Carrionite smirked as she yanked a lock of hair from his head and backed away.

"What did you do?"he asked, touching the spot.

"Souvenir."

He shook his head. "Well, give it back!"

The witch threw her arms up and the window behind her burst open. She flew out backwards, levitating outside.

The Doctor rushed to the sill and stopped. "Well, that's just cheating."

She cackled. "Behold, Doctor. Men to Carrionites are nothing but puppets."

She pulled out a doll and wrapped his hair about it. Rose pushed herself to her knees as Martha stirred a bit.

Ignoring the taunt, the Doctor said, "Now, you might call that magic... I'd call that a DNA replication module."

"What use is your science now?" the witch demanded as she stabbed the doll.

The Doctor let out a cry and fell to the floor as the Carrionite cackle and flew away. Rose gasped and scrambled to the Doctor, as Martha sat up.

"Doctor! Don't worry, I've got you," Rose said, cradling him. "You have -got- to stop doing this to me!"

Martha moves over to her friends' side. "Did she...?"

"She stabbed only once," Rose said by way of answer.

"You're making a habit of this," the Doctor grinned at his love. "Aahh! I've only got one heart working. How do you people cope? I've got to get the other one started. Hit me! Hit me on the chest!"

Martha raised a hand but Rose stopped her.

"I can do it faster," she said, an almost echo to her voice. She placed her hand on his chest and her eyes flared gold along with her hand. A shock of sorts passed into him, making him gasp and sit up.

Martha looked at Rose with wide eyes. "I thought you were human!"

"I am!" Rose said, blinking her eyes back to their normal hazel. "Well... I... was..."

"There we go! Ba-da-boom!" the Doctor smiled, reaching for Rose's hand. "She is human, Martha. Wonderfully, perfectly human. She just did something silly with a little thing called a time vortex and now her cells are mutating slightly so the bit left in her doesn't kill her in a very painful way."

Rose cringed as she stood, realizing how that must sound to Martha.

To her surprise, Martha nodded, and teased her a bit. "Oh. Well, remind me to stay away from the time vortex, then. I don't think I could explain glowing eyes and hands."

Rose laughed, relieved and hugged Martha.

"Well, what are you standing there for? Come on! The Globe!" the Doctor smiled, taking Rose's hand and rushing out of the room.

As they ran through the streets, the three of them could hear screaming, and there was a red glow of energy pouring from the Globe. The preacher from when they first arrived was there, pointing at them.

"I told thee so! I told thee!"

"Stage door!" the Doctor yelled, dragging Rose onward. Martha rushed just behind them, wondering how they managed all this running all the time.

Thunderclouds and lightening formed over the Globe mixing with the red glow, and the exits sealed themselves just after the time travelers burst in backstage to find Shakespeare nursing his head.

"Stop the play!" said the Doctor. "I think that was it. Yeah, I said, "Stop the play"!"

"I hit my head," the man on the floor winced.

"Yeah, don't rub it, you'll go bald."

Rose elbowed the Doctor as they heard screams from out front. "I think that's our cue!"

They ran out to the stage and Martha grabbed Shakespeare's hand and they followed.

"Now begins the millennium of blood!" the Carrionites cackled, holding a crystal aloft as the four rushed the stage. "The Doctor! He lives! Then watch this world become a blasted heath! They come! They come!"

The remaining Carrionites recently freed from the crystal flew about the Globe.

The Doctor spun and grabbed Shakespeare's shoulders. "Come on, Will! History needs you!"

"But what can I do?" he asked, visibly shaken.

"Reverse it!" Rose encouraged.

"Dear lady, just how am I supposed to do that?"

"The shape of the Globe gives words power, but you're the wordsmith, the one true genius. The only man clever enough to do it!" the Doctor shouted.

The author floundered. "But what words? I have none ready!"

"You're William Shakespeare!" Martha prodded him.

"But these Carrionite phrases, the need such precision!"

The Doctor was serioius and deadly as he looked into the other man's eyes. "Trust yourself. When you're locked away in your room, the words just come, don't they? Like magic. Words of the right sound, the right shape, the right rhythm — words that last forever! That's what you do, Will! You choose perfect words. Do it. Improvise!"

Taking a deep breath, he nodded and stepped forward. "Close up this den of hateful, dire decay! Decomposition of your witches' plot! You thieve my brains, consider me your toy. My doting Doctor tells me I am not!"

"Doting?" Rose smirked to her Doctor.

The witch masquerading as a maid shrieked. "No! Words of power!"

He continued on, "Foul Carrionite spectres, cease your show! Between the points..."

He looked to the Doctor.

"7-6-1-3-9-0!" the Doctor supplied coordinates.

"7-6-1-3-9-0! And banished like a tinker's cuss, I say to thee..."

Again, he looked to the Doctor who was at a loss this time.

Martha shouted out. "Expelliarmus!"

Rose echoed with a grin, "Expelliarmus!"

The authot shrugged and pointed at the three witches, "Expelliarmus!"

"Good old JK!" the Doctor laughed as the Carrionites screamed.

"The deep darkness! They are consumed! Ahhh!" The wraith-like carrionites were sucked into the cloud, tornado fashion, as were copies of the play.

The Doctor moved to pull Rose safely to his side, wishing he could keep her that way always. "'Love's Labours Won'. There it goes."

The cloud dissipated and the cowering audience sighed almost as one in relief, then began applauding. The Doctor ducked out with Rose as Shakespeare, Martha and the actors take their bows.

"They think it was all special effects," Martha said in wonder.

The man next to her grinned. "Your effect is special indeed."

She shook her head at him. "It's not your best line."

Martha and Shakespeare took their bows as well. The Doctor and Rose went to the Carrionite's box where they found the crystal within which the three were trapped.

Rose looked at the crystal with a thoughtful expression.

"They can't escape," the Doctor told her softly.

"I'm not worried about that," she told him. "It's just… I really didn't like how they nearly killed you. Had she known about you having two hearts, you wouldn't have had a chance to regenerate…"

He nodded. "Have I thanked you yet for that?"

She sighed. "I don't like doing it."

"I don't like you having to," he admitted. "But it seems to be getting easier for you to call power you shouldn't be able to call, have you noticed?"

She gave him a look that said she obviously had noticed and asked him sarcastically, "No! You mean my hands don't normally glow gold and send out electrostatic pulses?"

She blinked. How had she known it was an electrostatic pulse?

"My Rose," the Doctor said softly, circling his arms around her again. "You're still my wonderful, beloved pink and yellow human, and I'm still keeping you close and as safe as I can."

She smiled up at him. "Even if I turn out as some sort of crazy brilliant glowworm?"

He laughed and kissed her. "Even then."

By the next morning, the four of them met back at the Globe, Martha and Shakespeare were chatting as they sat at the edge of the stage, while the Doctor rummaged around backstage. Rose seemed quiet and withdrawn a bit, and Martha made a mental note to talk to her later, but at that moment, Shakespeare was telling her a joke.

"…and I say, a heart for a hart and a dear for a deer."

She shook her head. "I don't get it."

"Then give me a joke from Freedonia," he laughed easily.

She shrugged. "OK, Shakespeare walks into a pub and the landlord says "oi, mate, you're bard"."

"It's brilliant! Doesn't make sense, mind you, but never mind that." He wrapped his hands about her waist. "Come here."

"I've only just met you," she said, pulling back a bit.

"The Doctor might never kiss you. Why not entertain a man who will?"

Rose looked up at that, narrowing her eyes. Did Martha want her Doctor? Had she missed that somehow?

The black woman laughed at Shakespeare's antics. "I don't know how to tell you this, oh great genius, but your breath doesn't half stink. And it's not like that with the Doctor. You saw him with Rose. That's a beautiful thing, and I'd be some kind of monster to try and get between them."

The Doctor chose that moment to emerge from backstage wearing a ruff collar and carrying an animal skull. He looked at Rose first, an eager look on his face as he tried to make her smile.

"Good props store back there! I'm not sure about this though." He held up a skull. "Remind you of a Sycorax?"

"Sycorax. Nice word. I'll have that off you as well," the Bard grinned.

"I should be on 10%. How's your head?" the doctor asked.

"Still aching."

The Doctor nodded and tossed the skull back toward the wings for someone else to put away. He moved over to Shakespeare and unclasps the collar, putting it on the playwright instead. "Here, I got you this. Neck brace. Wear that for a few days till it's better, although you might wanna keep it. It suits you."

Rose moved to his side, taking his hand. "What about the play?"

"Gone. I looked all over — every single copy of 'Love's Labours' Won went up in the sky," he gave her hand a squeeze. She'd been withdrawn since the Bad Wolf incident last night, and he wanted his Rose smiling and happy again.

"My lost masterpiece," Shakespeare lamented.

Martha nudged him with her shoulder. "You could write it up again."

"Yeah, better not, Will. There's still power in those words. Maybe it should best stay forgotten," the Doctor hedged.

The author nodded. "Oh, but I've got new ideas. Perhaps it's time I wrote about fathers and sons. In memory of my boy — my precious Hamnet."

"Hamnet?" Martha echoed.

The man nodded easily. "That's him."

The medical student clarified, "Ham-NET?"

Catching her tone, the man demanded, "What's wrong with that?"

"Anyway!" the Doctor exclaimed, changing the subject. "Time we were off. We've got a nice attic in the TARDIS where this lot can scream for all eternity and we've gotta take Martha back to Freedonia."

Shakespeare shook his head with a grin. "You mean travel on through time and space."

"You what?" Rose asked, surprised.

"The Doctor is from another world like the Carrionites and Martha is from the future. Rose, you are the only hard one to work out."

She blinked and looked at the Doctor.

He hugged her close. "That's... incredible. You are incredible."

"No fear, Rose, it matters not where you're from if you are certain where you're going. Martha, let me say goodbye to you in a new verse. A sonnet for my Dark Lady. Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate—-

One of the actors rushed into the theater, crying, "Will! Will! You'll never believe it! She's here! She's turned up!"

Another actor burst in just behind him. "We're the talk of the town. She heard about last night! She wants us to perform it again."

"Who?

The second actor shouted. "Her Majesty! She's here!"

There was a flourish of fanfare as Elizabeth I entered with her guards.

The Doctor crowed, "Queen Elizabeth I!"

"Doctor!" the Queen shouted, not at all please to see him.

Martha jumped to her feet, looking at the Doctor and Rose in alarm.

The Doctor's face fell. "What?"

Rose laughed.

"My sworn enemy!" the Queen declared.

"What?" the Doctor said again.

"Love, now may not be the time," Rose said, still laughing. The Doctor couldn't help but feel better at the sound of her laughter. He missed that sound when it was gone.

Her Majesty didn't seem as impressed. "Off with his head!

"What?"

"Never mind "what", just run!" Martha shouted. "See you, Will! And thanks!"

The ran for the TARDIS, laughing about another person after the Doctor.

"Stop that pernicious Doctor!" came the cry after them.

Shakespeare laughed as they disappeared.

"Stop in the name of the Queen!" a soldier called.

"What have you done to upset her?!" Martha cried.

"How should I know?" the Doctor laughed."Haven't even met her yet. That's time travel for you! Still, can't wait to find out."

Rose grinned, pulling him into the TARDIS. "That's something to look forward to."

He ducked inside as archers fired, embedding an arrow in the door. Kissing her happily, he darted to the console and took them off to another destination.

_A/N: Another episode down! For some reason this one was hard, so I hope it came out well for you all. Please leave a review letting me know how I'm doing? I'd hate to think I was disappointing all of you who are being so kind and reading my work._


	5. 0303 Gridlock

_A/N: Thanks so much for your continued support! Hope you enjoy this one, as I've added a bit of original stuff before and after. Please, please, PLEASE leave a review and let me know what you think?!_

Season Three: "Gridlock"

The Doctor was in the control room alone, humming. He hadn't felt like humming in several regenerations now, and it rather pleased him when he realized he was doing it. Rose and Martha were exploring the wardrobe, and when he'd gone to the door to see how they were doing, they had been sitting in the floor each wearing outfits that looked like a cross between combat fatigues and tutus. He couldn't help but grin to himself as he walked away again. He loved any activity that made her laugh.

Sometime later, Martha wandered in, wearing simple jeans and a casual blue top. The Doctor smiled at her before looking up to see if Rose was behind her.

"She went to her room for something," the medical student answered the unasked question.

He nodded, then focused on Martha. "You and Rose have become quite close, haven't you?"

She smiled. "We get along great," she smiled brightly. "I'm glad she's around."

He couldn't stop the brilliant grin that spread. "So am I. But I want to ask your opinion on something."

He detailed his plan to her, and she bounced with excitement.

"Rose will LOVE that!" she squealed when he was finished. "But where did you get a…?"

He pulled a small box out of his pocket and opened it. "I got this out while you two were playing in the wardrobe."

She sighed happily. "Oh Doctor… it's perfect!"

He winked at her and tucked the box away again, moving back to the controls. She took her cue from him and sat in the captain's chair, still grinning. When Rose came in the room just a few moments later, she held up a picture. The Doctor smiled at her, taking in her jeans and tank top. To him, Rose would be beautiful in anything, but he had to appreciate the way this looked on her.

"Here it is, Martha. Picture of his last face."

The black woman moved to see the picture, and the Doctor followed. He remembered Jack taking a picture of him and Rose, sitting on the couch together in the library one evening. Oddly, even he felt a quick stab of loneliness for the flamboyant extrovert. He looked over Rose's shoulder at his old face, staring down at a sleeping nineteen year old Rose with bewilderment and tenderness. She'd confused him so much back then.

"It feels like a long time ago that I was that man," he finally said, wrapping his arms around her.

"You had some ears there, Doctor," Martha grinned. "But still… nice. It's so weird that you can just… become someone else."

Rose shook her head. "No. He may look different, but he's the same man. Trust me. I was scared to death when he regenerated. I thought he wouldn't want me around, that perhaps his whole personality would reset and he wouldn't like me anymore."

The Doctor gaped at her. "Are you being serious, Rose? But… I purposefully tried to make myself into a man that you would like!"

"You can do that?!" she asked.

He laughed. "It's not easy, but I can influence things. You admired Jack's hair, and I tried to get a style just as attractive, ears smaller, nose smaller… I even took less of a warrior's physique because I was going for a body that was more comfortable with physical contact because you were always hugging me and everyone else!"

Rose was staring at the Doctor in shock. "You did all that… for me?"

"Well, it wasn't for Jackie," he teased, then fell silent when he realized what he'd said.

The woman shook her head. "It's ok, Doctor. It would be worse if we tried to pretend she never existed."

He kissed her quickly and looked at Martha. "Just one trip. 'S'what I said. One trip, in the TARDIS, and then home. Although – I suppose we could – stretch the definition. Try one trip to the past, one trip to the future. How do you fancy that?"

The woman grinned. "No complaints from me!"

"How about a different planet?" the Doctor asked, moving back to the console.

Martha asked, "Can we go to yours?"

The Doctor's excitement ebbed almost immediately and he turned away from her. Rose fell silent.

"Ahh, there's plenty of other places!" the man said, pretending to be busy with the controls.

"Come on, though! I mean, Planet of the Time Lords, that's got to be worth a look! What's it like?" their traveling companion pressed.

"Well, it's beautiful, yeah…" the Doctor's tone was a bit hollow.

"Is it like, you know, outer space cities, all spires and stuff?"

"Suppose it is."

"Great big temples and cathedrals!" she continued, growing excited.

Rose moved to him, frowning sadly. He always avoided this topic. Martha was oblivious, lost in cheerful imagination, but Rose's heart was breaking for him.

He spoke in a quiet, flat tone. "Yeah."

"Lots of planets in the sky?" Martha went on, finally noticing Rose waving for her to stop.

The Doctor seemed to stare off into space. "The sky's a burnt orange, with the Citadel enclosed in a mighty glass dome, shining under the twin suns. Beyond that, the mountains go on forever – slopes of deep red grass, capped with snow."

Martha was utterly enthralled. "Can we go there?"

The cheerful mask he always used slipped comfortably into place. "Naah! Where's the fun for me? I don't want to go home! Instead …"

He begins to dance around the main console, tweaking settings as he goes. He paused when Rose placed a hand on his arm, only allowing her to see the unguarded pain in his eyes that was the memory of his home world. She leaned to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"You're not alone anymore," she whispered. "I know I'm not a planet… but I love you."

He smiled at her, silently thanking her for understanding. "I love you, too, my Rose." He turned the wheel and looked to Martha. "This is much better. Year five billion and fifty-three, planet New Earth! Second hope of mankind! Fifty thousand light years from your old world, and we're slap bang in the middle of New New York. Although, technically it's the fifteenth New York from the original, so it's New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York. One of the most dazzling cities ever built."

Rose's eyes lit up. "Oh Doctor! Are we really on New Earth?!"

He grinned at her. "I thought you would be pleased."

"Oh, I am! Martha, you'll love it!"

The Doctor threw on his overcoat, and led them out of the TARDIS into a pouring rain shower. Martha scowled and hurriedly zipped up her jacket. Rose looked around the area that looked like some sort of back alley with confusion.

"Oh, that's nice! Time Lord version of dazzling," Martha teased.

"Nah, bit of rain never hurt anyone. Come on, let's get under cover!" the Doctor said cheerfully, though inside he was frustrated. This trip was supposed to be perfect for Rose!

They dashed through a junk-ridden street, past what looked like giant dumpsters and old laundry swinging from a line.

Martha poked at the laundry. "Well, it looks like the same old Earth to me. On a Wednesday afternoon."

Rose laughed, but the Doctor scowled. "Hold on, hold on. Let's have a look."

He moved over to a dead screen on the wall, and used the sonic screwdriver. Once static appeared, the Doctor banged on the top of the screen himself.

"Oi!" Rose cringed at the bang as a pleasant looking woman appeared.

"– and the driving should be clear and easy, with fifteen extra lanes open for the New New Jersey expressway."

The image on the screen shifted to reveal the New New York above ground, a gorgeous spired city on the coast of a large river, with sleek flying vehicles zooming in the air.

"Oh, that's more like it! That's the view we had last time," he exclaimed, pointing it out to Rose.

"Oh, the apple grass!" she gasped. "That was a really brilliant moment."

He pulled her into a hug, smiling. He knew this was the right place. But how to get there from… "This must be the lower levels. Down in the base of the tower, some sort of under-city."

Martha pretended to sound irritated, but she couldn't help smiling in spite of herself at the happiness of her friends. "You've brought me to the slums?"

"Much more interesting! It's all cocktails and glitter up there. This is the real city," he teased back.

Rose laughed at him. "You'd enjoy anything. One of the reasons I love you so much."

The Doctor kissed her forehead at that. "That's me. Oh, the rain's stopping! Better and better!"

Martha was about to ask how people got around in this city when a man suddenly flipped open the top of one of the large green boxes to reveal a street vendor's cart. Around them, many others did the same, appearing and shouting out their wares.

"Oh! You should have said. How long you been there? Happy! You want Happy!"

"Customers! Customers! We've got customers!"

"We're in business! Mother, open up the Mellow, and the Read!"

"Happy, Happy, lovely happy Happy!"

"Anger! Buy some Anger!"

"Get some Mellow, makes you feel all bendy and soft all day long!"

Rose actually pressed her hands to her ears against the cacophany. Martha looked around, confused, while the Doctor seemed to grow more upset with each shout. The vendor nearest shook his head.

"Younger, them," he said as though chatting with friends. "They'll rip you off. Do you want some happy?"

"No, thanks," the Doctor scowled.

Martha gasped, "Are they selling drugs?"

Rose shook her head. "I think they're selling moods."

"Same thing, isn't it?" Martha asked bitterly.

Other, more bedragged-looking people shuffled into the alleyway around them. The newcomers drew more cries from the pharmacists. A pale woman dressed in very dark clothes caught their attention as she walked with intent toward the stalls.

"Over here, sweetheart! That's it, come on, I'll get you first!"

"Oy! Oy, you! Over here! Over here! Buy some Happy!"

"Come over here, yeah. And what can I get you, my love?"

"I want to buy Forget," the woman said, her tone utterly broken.

Rose covered her mouth, glancing at the Doctor.

The vendor sounded almost kind. "I've got Forget, my darling. What strength? How much you want forgetting?"

The dejected woman stared at the ground, looking as though her grief were crushing her. "It's my mother and father. They went on the motorway."

"Oh, that's so sweet," said the vendor, obviously not really listening. She reached behind her into the stall, and pulled out a small circular token, holding it out to the pale woman. "Try this. Forget Forty-three. That's twopence."

The pale woman paid the pharmacist and turned away, the token still in her hand. Before she can do anything with it, the Doctor stopped her.

"Sorry, but – hold on a minute. What happened to your parents?"

Martha moved to the woman's side, trying to get a good look at the token in her hand.

"They drove off."

Rose was looking around, watching people buy their moods without any thought to what might happen to this. Gold flashed in her eyes for the briefest moment and she looked up. Something had happened to the city above, and it started with a purchased mood, she was certain of it.

"They might drive back," the Doctor said to the woman.

She smiled at him like one would a child at a funeral. "Everyone goes to the motorway in the end. I've lost them."

The Doctor, never one to just give up, pressed, "But they can't have gone far. You could find them."

The pale woman just looked at him pityingly, then looked down with a sigh. She stuck the circular token to her neck.

He jumped, trying to stop her. "No, no – no, don't!"

He was too late. Once the token had been applied, the pale woman's expression changed almost instantly. She seemed docile, serene; a bit out of it, and blithely unaware of her surroundings. Martha studied her with a horrified expression.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" the woman asked them.

"Your parents," the Doctor prompted. "Your mother and father. They're on the motorway."

"Are they? That's nice." Her eyes were completely blank.

Martha made a disbelieving face, and looked to the Doctor. He was disturbed, but not surprised. He turned to look at Rose who had tears in her eyes.

The woman moved away. "I'm sorry. I won't keep you."

They watched her go with frowns on their faces – the Doctor pensive, Rose biting her lower lip in sumpathy, and Martha upset and a little scornful.

"So that's the human race five billion years in the future. Off their heads on chemicals," the medical student bit out.

Two figures sprang out from behind Rose, carrying guns and dressed in dark clothing. The man grabbed her from behind, throwing an arm around her neck and dragging her off, as his wife stood in front of them pointing her gun at the Doctor. Martha screamed out as Rose struggled, but they were quick – they retreated, taking the blonde woman with them.

"I'm sorry, I'm really, really sorry. We just need three, that's all," the man said, his tone regretful.

The Doctor felt his hearts seize, his eyes wild as they took his Rose, his life. "No, let her go! I'm warning you, let her go! Whatever you want, I can help. We can help. But first you've got to let her go!"

The woman frowned. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. Sorry."

The woman repeated her apologies, almost crying, until the couple had disappeared with Rose in their clutches, slamming a large green door behind them. The Doctor bared his teeth in frustration and began to wrestle with the door. Martha was right next to him.

The kidnappers pushed Rose down a shadowy corridor. She kept trying to get away from them, actually frightened for them when the Doctor caught them. He would save her, but she fear what might happened before he did.

The Doctor used the sonic screwdriver and yanked the door open, running after the kidnappers with Martha right on his heels. She was scared, she had never anything like seen the anger in the Doctor's eyes. It was as though he would easily tear the universe apart to get her back.

The kidnappers and Rose emerged in daylight, running down a fire escape. The man had Rose by the arm, and the woman was at their rear, still holding out the gun.

"Please," Rose begged the man. "Whatever is happening, the Doctor can help you. But if you don't let me go, you'll only make him angry. Don't do this."

She broke free of the man's grip, but he grabbed her again before she could go more than a step. He pulled her closer and looked to the woman as they stopped in front of a large black car.

"Give her some Sleep."

"Don't you dare!" Rose cried out. "Don't put that stuff on me, don't! Get off me!"

"It's just Sleep Fourteen," she said soothingly, reaching into the vehicle and pulling out another token.

She made to press it into Rose's neck, but the blonde woman screamed and writhed. The woman kidnapper looked upset, but purposeful.

"No, baby, don't fight it," the woman tried to soothe her.

Rose still struggled madly, "I'm telling you, don't do this!"

The man was holding her, however, and Rose could't resist for long, and the moment the token touched her neck she fell into an instant sleep.

"That's it. Come on. That's it," the woman crooned gently.

The man looked around. "Help me get her on board."

They loaded Rose into their car and climbed aboard themselves, the man quickly flicked on the switches inside the vehicle.

"Engaging anti-gravs. Hold on."

The woman, having laid Rose down on a long table, reached to the top of the car for support. They rose into the air and the engines powered up, just as the Doctor rushed out onto the fire escape.

The Doctor stared after the car in horror as it sped away, screaming frantically, "ROSE!"

He furiously turned back in the alleyway where Martha stood waiting, recoiling from the unbridled rage she could see in his eyes. He strode to one of the now-closed stall and pounded on the door. It flipped up quickly; behind it was the woman who sold the girl Forget. Seeing him, she grinned broadly and leaned toward him over the countertop.

"Thought you'd come back! Do you want some Happy Happy?"

"Those people – who were they? Where did they take her?" he demanded, eyes flashing dangerously.

Another man opened his stall. "They've taken her to the motorway."

"Looked like carjackers to me," the woman said.

Another man reopened. "I'd give up now, darling. You won't see her again."

"Used to be thriving in this place. You couldn't move. But they all go to the motorway in the end," the first man said.

The Doctor whirled, grilling them all at once.

"He kept on saying three, we need three. What did he mean, three?"

The woman nodded. "It's the car-sharing policy, to save fuel. You get special access if you're carrying three adults."

"This motorway – how do I get there?"

"Straight down the alley, keep going to the end. You can't miss it," she said easily.

The Doctor strode off in the direction she indicated, not losing a second. Martha followed at once.

"Tell you what – how 'bout some happy Happy? Then you'll be smiling, my love!" the woman called after him.

At that, the Doctor turned back and pointed at her. When he spoke, his voice was cold power and promised judgment. "Word of advice, all of you. Cash up. Close down. And pack your bags."

The woman in the stall reared back a bit and asked, "Why's that, then?"

"Because as soon as I've found my Rose, alive and well – and I will find her, alive and well – then I'm coming back. And this street is closing. Tonight!"

The pharmacists glanced at each other, apprehensive, as the Doctor stalked away.

In a car not too far away, a blue screen shows a small line with "4-6-5-diamond-6" above it, indicating the vehicle that was now carrying Rose. The line was moving from Level 17 (at the top of the screen) on downward, edging closer to Level 21 (at the bottom of the screen). The blonde woman fuzzily came to, seeing the odd green light above her. She looked around the car, seeing containers of pills and liquid next to her and hearing vague voices in the background. Her kidnappers were silhouetted in her vision as she regarded the front of the vehicle.

"Yeah. The view from the windows. You can see all the way out to the flatlands," the woman said.

Rose reached sleepily for the token at her neck and pulled it off, frowning. She threw it away from her with a scowl.

"The sky … They say the air smells like apple grass. Can you imagine?" the woman kept talking.

The man started in, "The houses are made of wood. There are jobs going in the foundries. Everyone says so!"

Rose thinks quickly. She saw a gun sitting on a computer screen next to her head and snatched it, pointing it at her captors.

"Take me back," she ordered. "Whoever you are, just take me back to my friends. That's all I want. I won't cause any trouble. Just take me back to him, please!"

The two people in the car glanced at each other. Finally the woman spoke, "I'm sorry. That's not a real gun."

"Yeah, well, you would say that," Rose said, hesitating.

The woman looked over at the man. "Where do you get a gun from, these days? I wouldn't even know how to fire."

"Well, I would," Rose said, now looking at her weapon with a scowl. "If this -were- a real gun. Damn."

The woman smiled, trying to be friendly. "What's your name?"

"Rose Tyler."

She set the pretend weapon aside and moved toward the front of the car to stand behind them.

The woman held out a hand, "Well, I'm Cheen, and this is Milo. And I swear we're sorry. We're really, really sorry. We just needed access to the fast line, but I promise, as soon as we arrive, we'll drop you off and you can go back and find your friends."

"Seriously?"

"I swear! Look –" Cheen pulled back her dark hair to reveal a token on her neck. It looked the same as the one Rose had ripped off when she woke, but this one has the word "HONESTY" printed on it. "Honesty patch."

Rose relaxed. "All the same, that's still kidnapping! Where are we, anyway?"

"We're on the motorway," Milo answered, gesturing ahead.

Rose peered into the haze. "What's that, then? Fog?"

"That's the exhaust fumes," Cheen said.

"We're going out to Brooklyn. Everyone says the air's so much cleaner, and we couldn't stay in Pharmacy Town, 'cause ..." Milo rubbed Cheen's knee, and she grinned up at Rose.

"Well, 'cause of me. I'm pregnant. We only discovered it last week. Scan says it's going to be a boy."

Milo made a mock victory gesture; he was as thrilled as Cheen.

"Happy as I am for you," Rose smiled, "you've still kidnapped me."

Cheen shook her head. "Oh, we're not kidnappers. Not really."

"Nope. You're idiots! You're having a baby, and you're wearing that?"

Rose scowled and reached out, ripping the honesty patch from Cheen's neck. Cheen gave a small yelp of pain and slapped her hand over the spot.

"Not anymore," she nodded, satisfied.

Milo frowned. "This'll be as fast as we can. We'll take the motorway to the Brooklyn flyover, and then after that it's gonna take awhile, 'cause then there's no fast lane, just ordinary roads, but at least it's direct."

"It's only ten miles," Cheen mumbled, rubbing at her neck.

"So how long until I'm back to my Doctor?" Rose asked, leaning back.

"About six years."

Rose gaped at the woman. "What?"

She smiled. "Be just in time for him to start school."

Milo and Cheen giggled, fresh new parents all over, but Rose was not laughing with them.

"Nope. Sorry. Hold on. Six years? Ten miles in six years? How come?"

Back in a dilapidated corridor, near an old sign reading "MOTORWAY ACCESS," the sonic screwdriver buzzed in the dim light. The Doctor was forcing open a large door, Martha at his side. The lock opened with a loud clang and they stepped through onto a platform. Martha coughed as they were now in an atmosphere of heavy smoke, and they looked up to see that the smoke was the exhaust of several thousand cars, all hovering in the air in the most terrible traffic jam in the universe. Right in front of the pair, the door to one of the floating vehicles opened, and a large figure covered in protective gear leaned out.

"Hey! You daft little street struts! What are you doing, standing there? Either get out or get in! Come on!"

Coughing fit to burst, the Doctor and Martha jumped through the open door into the car.

The figure shook his head. "Did you ever see the like?"

A dark-haired woman in the car handed the two of them oxygen masks, and they covered their mouths and noses gratefully.

"There you go," the woman said with a smile.

"Just standing there, breathing it in!" He pulled off his goggles, cap, and scarf; he was a cat, just like the nuns at the hospital. "There's this story says back in the old days, on Junction Forty-Seven, this woman stood in the exhaust fumes for a solid twenty minutes. By the time they found her, her head had swollen to fifty feet!"

"Oh, you're making it up," the woman admonished.

The man headed to the front of the car, getting in the driver's seat. "A fifty-foot head! Just think of it. Imagine picking that nose."

The woman was laughing now. "Stop it. That's disgusting."

The Doctor and Martha exchanged looks.

"What? Did you never pick your nose?" the man teased further.

Suddenly, all joking forgotten, the woman suddenly sat up straight and tapped him on the arm. "Bran, we're moving!"

"Right. I'm there. I'm on it."

He pulled a lever on the console, and the engines in the back of the car spewed out smoke. As they moved forward, the other cars moved into place around them; horns beeping in every corner. They didn't go far, though, and after a couple of seconds Brannigan drew the lever back.

"Twenty yards! We're having a good day," the man grinned.

The woman smiled, and both of them turned back to regard the two people in their car, who were standing behind them and pulling off their oxygen masks.

"And who might you be? Very well-dressed for hitchhikers," the cat asked.

"Thanks. Sorry, I'm the Doctor, and this is my friend, Martha Jones."

Martha gave a little wave. "Hello."

"Medical man! Ha-ha! My name's Thomas Kincade Brannigan, and this is the bane of my life, the lovely Valerie."

"It's nice to meet you," his wife said in a soft tone.

Brannigan pointed behind them. "And that's the rest of the family behind you."

The Doctor turned and drew a curtain behind him, revealing a basket of adorable mewling kittens.

"Aww, that's nice. Hello," he said, unable to maintain his fury in the face of kittens.

He reached gently out to them as the parents of the kittens shared a glance, and the Doctor turned back to Brannigan and Valerie with a tiny black cat in his hands.

"How old are they?" Martha asked, reaching out to scratch the kitten's ear.

"Just two months," their mother said.

Their father sighed. "Poor little souls. They've never known the ground beneath their paws. Children of the motorway."

Martha and the Doctor exchanged shocked looks.

"What, they were born in here?" the medical student asked incredulously.

"We couldn't stop. We heard there were jobs going, out in the laundries on Fire Island. Thought we'd take a chance," Valerie explained.

"What? You've been driving for two months?" the doctor asked in utter shock.

Brannigan laughed. "Do I look like a teenager? We've been driving for twelve years now."

"You're not serious," Martha gaped.

"Yeah! Started out as newlyweds! Feels like yesterday," Brannigan said in his loud voice.

"Feels like twelve years to me," his wife huffed.

"Ahh, sweetheart, but you're still lovely." He tickled her, and she giggled, their troubles forgotten for a time.

"Twelve years?! How far did you come? Where did you start?" the Doctor wanted to know.

"Battery Park. It's five miles back," the cat answered him.

The Doctor shook his head. "You travelled five miles in twelve years?"

Brannigan looked to Valerie. "I think he's a bit slow."

The Doctor reached behind him and put the kitten back with its fellows.

"Where are you from?" Valerie asked.

"Never mind that, we've got to get out. My Rose is in one of these cars. She was taken hostage. We have to get back to the TARDIS."

He pulled open the door next to him, but emerged into nothing but a cloud of smoke.

Brannigan said sadly, "You're too late for that. We've passed the lay-by."

The Doctor coughed and closed the door again.

"You're a passenger now, Sonny Jim!"

The Doctor shook his head, and Martha could see the panic beginning to rise in his eyes again. "When's the next lay-by?"

"Oh … six months?"

Martha cringed. The Doctor was not amused.

Far below, in another vehicle, Rose watched the traffic jam through a window.

"How many cars are out there?" she asked.

Cheen tipped her head. "I don't think anyone knows." She reached for something and held it out. "Here you go. Hungry?"

"Oh, thanks." Rose pulled away from the window and stood behind the couple again, munching on a large round wafer. "About how far down is it to this fast lane?"

"Oh, it's right at the bottom, underneath the traffic jam. But not many people can afford three passengers, so it's empty down there. Rumor has it you can reach up to thirty miles per hour."

Rose scowled, not liking this even a small amount. Her voice dripped sarcasm when she said, "Wow. However will we manage?"

Milo and Cheen laughed, amused by their new companion. Rose looked around the car curiously.

"But how are you supposed to live inside this thing? It's tiny."

Cheen smiled, eager to show off for someone. "Oh, we stocked up. Got self-replicating fuel, muscle stimulants for exercise, and there's a chemical toilet at the back. And all waste products are recycled as food."

Rose stopped eating at once and eyed her wafer like it's a deadly enemy. She opened her hand and let the wafer fall. "Oh-kay."

"Oh, another gap, this is brilliant!" Milo cried, excited.

"Car sign in," came an electric voice.

"Car Four Six Five Diamond Six, on descent to fast lane, thank you very much," Milo spoke into the transmitter.

"Please drive safely."

The Doctor had pointed the sonic screwdriver in front of a screen with the insignia of the New New York Police Department. He spoke into the transmitter. "I need to talk to the police."

"Thank you for your call. You have been placed on hold."

As these words are spoken, they also appear typed on the screen.

"But you're the police!" he shouted.

"Thank you for your call. You have been placed on hold."

The Doctor scrambled up to the front of the car where Brannigan and Valerie are still explaining their trek to Martha.

"Is there anyone else? I once met the Duke of Manhattan; is there any way of getting through to him?" the Doctor rushed.

"Oh, now, ain't you lordly?" Brannigan said, surprised.

"I've got to find Rose!"

Valerie looked sad. "You can't make outside calls. The motorway's completely enclosed."

"What about the other cars?" Martha suggested.

"Oh, we've got contact with them, yeah. Well, some of them, anyway. They've got to be on your friends list. Now, let's see – who's nearby? Ahh! The Cassini sisters!"

He holds up his transmitter, charming to a fault. "Still your hearts, my handsome girls. It's Brannigan here."

An elderly woman's voice came through. "Get off the line, Brannigan. You're a pest and a menace."

"Oh come on, now, sisters. Is that any way to talk to an old friend?"

The woman laughed. "You know full well we're not sisters. We're married."

"Oooh, stop that modern talk! I'm an old-fashioned cat. Now, I've got a hitchhiker here, calls himself the Doctor." He handed the transmitter over to the Doctor, who grabbed it.

"Hello. Sorry. I'm looking for someone called Rose Tyler. She's been carjacked. She's inside one of these vehicles, but I don't know which one."

"Wait a minute. Could I ask, what entrance did they use?"

"Where were we?" the Doctor asked, a desperate hope budding.

The cat answered promptly. "Pharmacy Town."

"Pharmacy Town, about twenty minutes ago."

"Let's have a look." There was a muttering from one of the women before the answer came. "In the last half hour, fifty-three new cars joined from the Pharmacy Town junction."

The Doctor drug an agitated hand through his hair. "Anything more specific?"

"All in good time. Was she car-jacked by two people?"

"Yes, she was, yeah."

Martha crossed her fingers. The Doctor, without Rose, was a scary sight. But all the same, Rose was her friend. She wanted her friend back.

"There we are. Just one of those cars was destined for the fast lane. That means they had three on board. And car number is four six five diamond six."

"That's it! So how do we find them?" he cheered.

"Ah. Now, there I'm afraid I can't help."

The Doctor held the transmitter to Brannigan. "Call them on this thing. We've got their number. Diamond six."

"Not if they're designated fast lane," the man apologized. "It's a different class."

"You could try the police," the voice on the radio suggested.

"They put me on hold," the Doctor groaned.

"You'll have to keep trying. There's no one else."

"Thank you," he said, his voice flat as he handed Brannigan back the transmitter.

Amongst the beeping, honking, and smoke, Milo and Cheen's car slowly descended through the massive lines of cars. Inside, the blue screen again showed the line representing Car Four Six Five Diamond Six, and it moved from Level 39 to Level 43. Milo pointed at it.

"See? Another ten layers to go. We're scorching."

Rose smiled, hoping her stint as passenger/hostage would be over soon. A low noise sounded, disrupting her thoughts and it was like a mix between a creak and a growl.

"What's that?" she asked.

The sound came again.

"It's coming from underneath," she said.

"It does have noise, doesn't it? It's like Kate said. The stories are true," Cheen said to Milo.

"What stories?" Rose wanted to know.

"It's the sound of the air vents. That's all," Cheen's husband snapped. "The exhaust fumes travel down, so at the base of the tunnel they've got air vents."

Cheen shrugged. "No, the stories are much better."

Milo chuckled – a little derisively, a little fondly – and looked away.

Cheen turned to Rose, wanting to share her story. "They say people go missing on the motorway. Some cars just vanish, never to be seen again. 'Cause there's something living down there, in the smoke. Something huge. And hungry. And if you get lost on the road … it's waiting for you."

Rose wondered if she had been that naïve when the Doctor first brought her into the TARDIS and felt a pang for him. As the rumbling noise got louder and louder, they all stared at each other nervously. Milo shifted in his seat.

"But like I said. Air vents," Milo insisted, pressing buttons on the console. "Going down to the next layer."

"Look out there. Does it look like the air vents are working?" the blonde woman pressed.

"No," Cheen said softly.

The sound kept getting louder. There was growling and crashing.

"So what's that, then?" the passenger whispered.

Milo couldn't believe her. He shakes his head. "Nah. Kid stuff." He spoke into his transmitter. "Car Four Six Five Diamond Six, on descent."

The Doctor was growing desperate to get to Rose. "We've got to go to the fast lane. Take me down."

"Not in a million years," the cat man scoffed.

"You've got four passengers! That's more than enough!"

"I'm still not going."

The Doctor's tone was so broken, Martha reached out to him. "She's alone, and she's lost. She doesn't belong on this planet, she belongs with me. I'm begging you, Brannigan – take me down."

Valerie spoke, her tone sorrowful but firm. "I'm sorry, Doctor. Butthat's a no. And that's final. I'm not risking the children down there."

"Why not? What's the risk? What happens down there?" Martha asked, suddenly concerned for her friend.

"We're not discussing it! The conversation is closed!" the woman insisted.

"So we keep on driving," the Doctor clarified.

"Yes, we do," Brannigan nodded.

Martha bit her lip. "For how long?"

He wouldn't turn and face them anymore. "'Till the journey's end."

The Doctor reached over him to snatch the vocal transmitter. "Mrs. Cassini, this is the Doctor. Tell me, how long have you been driving on the motorway?"

"Oh, we were amongst the first. It's been twenty-three years now."

"And in all that time, have you ever seen a police car?"

Valerie and Brannigan looked at him, disquieted that he's bringing this to light.

The voice that came back was nervous. "I'm not sure."

Closing his eyes, he said, "Look at your notes. Any police?"

"Not as such."

"Or an ambulance? Rescue service? Anything official? Ever?"

The woman's voice trembled now. "I can't keep a note of everything."

"What if there's no one out there?"

Brannigan reached up and angrily took the transmitter away from the Doctor. "Stop it. The Cassinis were doing you a favor."

"Someone's got to ask," the Doctor said firmly. "'Cause you might not talk about it, but it's there. In your eyes."

It was absolutely in Brannigan's eyes.

"What if the traffic jam never stops?"

"There's a whole city above us. The mighty city-state of New New York. They wouldn't just leave us," the father said, his tone telling the Doctor that he really wanted to believe that.

The Doctor pressed forward. "In that case, where are they? Hmm? What if there's no help coming, not ever? What if there's nothing? Just the motorway, with the cars going round and round and round, never stopping? Forever?"

Valerie let out a sob, covering her ears. "Shut up! Just shut up!"

The screen at the front of the car blared into life. It's the news starting up, a cheerful woman smiling at all of them.

"This is Sally Calypso, and it's that time again. The sun is blazing high in the sky over the New Atlantic, the perfect setting for the daily contemplation."

The cat spoke softly, "You think you know us so well, Doctor. But we're not abandoned. Not while we have each other."

His wife smiled a bit at this, reaching for his hand.

"This is for all of you out there on the roads. We're so sorry. Drive safe."

The Doctor frowned. Why would the woman on the news apologize?

Valerie and Brannigan started to sing along with the broadcast. In Rose's car, Milo and Cheen are also singing.

" _On a hill, far away_

_Stood an old, rugged cross_

_The emblem of suffering and shame_

_And I love that old cross_

_Where the dearest and best_

_For a world of lost sinners was slain_

_So I'll cherish the old, rugged cross, rugged cross_

_Till my trophies at last I lay down, I lay down_

_I will cling to the old, rugged cross, rugged cross_

_And exchange it some day for a crown."_

By the end of the hymn, Valerie and Martha had tears in their eyes.

"Fast lane access, please drive safely."

Milo sighed with a bit of relief. "We made it. The fast lane."

Cheen grinned, breathless, as their car scooted out of the long lines of traffic and descended into empty smoke.

Far above, the Doctor sighed and nodded. "If you won't take me, I'll go down on my own."

He moved to the middle of the car, pulling out the sonic screwdriver and inspecting the floor. Brannigan and Valerie turned, shocked.

"What do you think you're doing?" Brannigan asked him.

"Finding my own way. I usually do. Can Martha stay with you for a while?"

"Doctor, I want to go with you…"

An electronic voice announced, "Capsule open."

Valerie and Brannigan looked on in horror as a door in the floor of the car opened, revealing the hundreds of cars below them. One pulled up right underneath the opening, and the Doctor prepared to jump down.

"No, Martha. Rose is already in danger and lost. Please…" his voice caught a little. "Please stay safe until I get back?"

She pressed a hand to her mouth, tears threatening at the despair in his eyes. She nodded.

He gave her a grateful grin. "Here we go."

He took off his overcoat and threw it to them. Valerie caught it.

"Look after her, and my coat. I love that coat. Janis Joplin gave me that coat."

"But you can't jump!" Valerie cried.

"If it's any consolation, Valerie, right now, I'm having kittens."

Brannigan reached out to touch his wife. "This Rose – she must mean an awful lot to you."

The Doctor shook his head, his voice husky. "No, she means everything. Everything in time and space."

He looked up.

"Bye then!"

He jumped down, landing on top of the next car and coughing from the fumes. The three people he left stared after him in amazement.

"He's completely insane!" Valerie exclaimed.

Her husband grinned. "That, and a bit magnificent!"

Martha didn't say anything, as she was too busy praying and hoping that both the Doctor and Rose came back.

The Doctor drew the sonic screwdriver across the top of the car he'd just landed on, opening its top door. He dropped into the car, making his way down. Somewhere he picked up a handkerchief to block the fumes but he really paid no attention to the cars he passed through.

In the car he was searching for, all three passengers were looking dejectedly at the screen. A sidebar read, "BROOKLYN JUNCTION," and below it were three choices reading "EXIT 1," "EXIT 2," and "EXIT 3."

"Try again," Cheen encouraged.

Milo tapped "EXIT 1." At the bottom of the screen, a large red message beeped "JUNCTION CLOSED."

"Brooklyn Turnoff One closed."

"Try the next one?" his wife asked.

"Brooklyn Turnoff Two closed."

Cheen let out an anguished moan.

"What do we do?"

Rose paced nervously. She needed her Doctor.

"We'll keep going round. We'll do the whole loop. By the time we come back round, they'll be open," Milo just couldn't accept that everything he had been so sure of was wrong.

The rumbling noise sounded again, and they all looked around in panic.

Rose asked in a low tone, "You're still calling that air vents?"

"What else could it be?" Milo asked, still avoiding the truth.

From the looks on the couple's faces, it was clear that they didn't really want to know. Again, the noise filled the silence, and Rose knew the time for avoidance was over.

"What the hell is that?" Cheen whispered, face paling in dread.

Milo grasped for answers. "It's just – the hydraulics."

"Sounds like it's alive," Rose pointed out.

"It's all exhaust fumes out there. Nothing could breathe in that," the man insisted.

"You'd be surprised," the blonde woman said grimly.

"Calling Car Four Six Five Diamond Six. Repeat, calling Car Four Six Five Diamond Six."

Milo snatched up the transmitter. "This is Car Four Six Five Diamond Six. Who's that? Where are you?"

"I'm in the fast lane, about fifty yards behind. Can you get back up? Can you get off the fast lane?"

The man shook his head. "We only have permission to go down. We – we need the Brooklyn Flyover."

"It's closed. Go back up."

"We can't. We'll just go round."

Rose heard the desperation in the other person's voice and put a hand on Cheen's shoulder. This man's stubborn pride was going to get them killed, and she would never see her Doctor again.

The other driver snapped, "Don't you understand? They're closed. They're always closed."

Cheen clapped her hands over her mouth, in more distress than ever. She began letting out frightened gasps and Rose wished the Doctor or Martha was there. Stress of this magnatude couldn't be good for a pregnant woman.

The other driver continued. "We're stuck down here. And there's something else. Out there, in the fog. Can't you hear it?"

There was a definite shrill roar sounding outside.

"That's the air vents..." Milo tried.

"Jehovah! What are you, some stupid kid? Get out of here!"

There was a loud crashing noise and screaming from the other car, accompanied by more roaring.

Gripping the transmitter, Milo asked desperately, "What was that?"

There was more screaming, then a tortured, "I can't move! They've got us!"

"But what's happening?"

Rose snatched the transmitter out of his hand. "What's got you? What is it?"

The other driver yelled something unintelligible. The other passengers of the car screamed in terror as the sound of metal tearing drowned them out. Then there was nothing but horrible silence.

Rose exclaimed, "Just drive! Do what she said – get us out of here!"

"But where?" the young man asked, thoroughly shaken

"Just straight ahead! And fast!"

The pregnant woman sobbed. "What is it? What's out there? What is it?"

The Doctor finally made it to the last level above the fast lane, dropping into the car of a businessman who whirled to face him.

The man blinked. "'Scuse me, is that legal?"

The Doctor was coughing too hard to speak for a moment.

"I really don't know. Have you got any water?"

"Certainly. Never let it be said I've lost my manners," the man said stiffly, handing him a cone-shaped clear plastic cup he had filled with water from a nearby water cooler.

The Doctor drained it immediately. "Is this the last layer?"

The man nodded, still staring at him in confusion. "Ah, we're right at the bottom. Nothing below us but the fast lane."

The Doctor sighed, relieved. He was almost there. "Can we drive down?"

"There's only two of us. You need three to go down."

He barely stopped the growl of frustration. "Couldn't we just cheat?"

The man smirked. "Well, I'd love to, but it's an automated system. The wheel would lock."

Shaking his head, the Time Lord moved to the bottom hatch. "If you'll excuse me."

The horrified man squeaked. "You can't jump. It's a thousand feet down!"

"No, I just want to look," the Doctor said

He opened the hatch and stared out into a thick, murky fog, dotted with tiny lights. Faintly, from the distance, came a screeching roar.

He frowned, peering into the fog. "What's that noise?"

"I try not to think about it," the driver said delicately.

"What are those lights? What's down there?" the Doctor coughed again, waving a hand in front of his face to sweep away the smoke. "I just need to see."

He ran up to the screen in the front of the car, darting the driver an apologetic look, and pointed the sonic screwdriver at the display. He was beginning to get a little manic — thinking of ideas.

"There must be some sort of ventilation. If I could just transmit a pulse through this thing, maybe I could trip the system, give us a bit of a breeze."

Back in Valerie's and Brannigan's car, the two sat blankly, even Martha was lost in worry for people who had become very important to her in a very short time. Without warning, a loud creak sounded, and sparks began to fly from the ceiling.

Brannigan lifted a weapon. "Just what we need — pirates!"

"I'm calling the police!" Valerie shouted at the intruder.

The door at the top of their car fell down, and in poked the face of a female cat, wearing a nun's habit and holding a green gun.

"The Doctor. Where is he?!" she demanded.

In the car he'd taken control of, the Doctor was playing with the wiring of the front console, helped by the sonic screwdriver. One of the wires snapped in his fingers.

He grinned, loving when things worked as he wanted. "That's it! Might shift the fumes a bit, give us a good look."

He moved back to the hatch, followed by the driver of the car, and the two stared out.

"What are those shapes?" the driver asked in horror.

As they spoke, huge snapping claws materialized in the fading smoke.

"They're alive," the Doctor said ominously.

The man looked at his passenger. "What the hell are they?"

What appeared were creatures that looked to be extremely large crabs. The lights were their eyes.

The Doctor didn't like what he had to say, but he knew those beings. "Macra."

Below, the expecting couple's car was jolting more than ever, and its passengers were panicked.

"Go faster!" Cheen was shouting.

Her husband cried, "I'm at top speed!"

The screen at the front of the car read, PROXIMITY WARNING.

The electronic voice from the console said, "No access above."

"But this is an emergency!" Milo screamed at the machine.

Their car was zooming through the sea of Macra, barely missing the giant and very active claws. At least now they could see the danger.

"Thank you for your call. You have been placed on hold."

Rose moved forward. "Turn everything off."

"You've got to be joking," then man driving looked at her like she was insane.

The blonde woman shook her head, "No, listen, it's all fog out there, so how can they see us? Maybe it's the engines, the sound, or the heat, or the light — I don't know! Turn everything off. They might not be able to find us."

He was frightened and she couldn't blame him. "What if you're wrong?"

"It can't be worse than this! Just do it!" Rose insisted.

Milo went for it, flicking switches at the top of the car and on the console. It seemed to do the trick — the three sat, quietly, in an unmoving car, no longer jolting around, no longer screaming.

Cheen stared in wonder. "They've stopped."

"Yeah, but they're still out there," her husband said softly.

They all glanced around nervously. Cheen decided not to deal with that, and looked instead to Rose.

"How did you think of that?"

"I've been with the Doctor for several years now. It starts to rub off on you," she said softly, a look of such longing on her face that the woman reached back and took her hand.

Cheen sighed. "I'm sorry we took you from him."

Rose smiled a bit. "Don't worry. He always comes for me. He'll save us. The Doctor loves me, and I love him."

Milo glanced back. "Even through those things?"

She gave a lopsided grin. "Well, he braved my mother. Why not this?"

The look on the couple's faces said they would laugh if they weren't so scared.

Rose looked out the front. "They used to do it in submarines. Trouble is, I can't remember what they did next."

"Well, you better think of something, because we've lost the aircon. If we don't switch the engines back on, we won't be able to breathe," Milo said seriously.

"How long have we got?" she grimaced.

"Eight minutes, maximum."

Cheen began crying softly, and Rose sighed, looking around.

_Come on Doctor_.

The Doctor was trying to get to her, the look in his eyes growing more manic every moment. "The Macra used to be the scourge of this galaxy. Gas. They fed off gas, the filthier the better. They built up a small empire using humans as slaves and mining gas for food."

The man with him frowned. "They don't exactly look like empire-builders to me."

He shrugged. "Well, that was billions of years ago. Billions. They must've devolved down the years and now they're just beasts. But they're still hungry and my Rose's down there."

There was a sudden clank at the top of the man's car and both of them looked up.

The man groaned. "Oh, it's like New Times Square in here, for goodness's sake!"

Someone's feet dangled down, and a cat dressed as a nun dropped into the vehicle with them.

"I've invented a sport!" the Doctor joked weakly.

"Doctor, you're a hard man to find," she said simply.

The owner of the car pointed at the nun's gun, still in her hand. "No guns! I'm not having guns!"

She waved him off. "I only brought this in case of pirates. Doctor, you've got to come with me."

"Do I know you?" he asked, feeling surprised.

She touched her face. "You haven't aged at all. Time has been less kind to me."

Finally he recognized her. "Novice Hame!" He embraced her, grinning. "No, hold on, get off. Last time we met, you were breeding humans for experimentation."

She nodded, hanging her head. "I've sought forgiveness, Doctor, for so many years, under his guidance. And if you come with me, I might finally be able to redeem myself."

He pulled back. "I'm not going anywhere. You've got Macra living underneath this city. Macra! And my Rose's stuck down there! I have to get her out!"

"You've got to come with me right now!" she said, desperate.

"No, no, no, you're coming with me. We've got three passengers now," the Doctor looked toward the console.

"I'm sorry, Doctor. But the situation is even worse than you can imagine," she took his wrist, and pressed a button on the green-lit metal wristband she was wearing. "Transport."

His eyes snapped to her in utter fury. "Don't you dare! Don't you dare!"

But it was too late. The two of them flashed from the car to a large yet unkempt room — dusty, junk everywhere, with streams of sunlight flooding in irregularly. The Doctor and Novice Hame picked themselves up off the floor.

"Oh! Rough teleport. Ow. But you can go straight back down and teleport people out, starting with Rose."

"I only had the power for one trip," she apologized.

"Then get some more!" he snapped. "Where are we?"

"High above, in the over-city."

"Good! 'Cause you can tell the Senate of New New York I'd like a word. They've got thousands of people trapped on the motorway! Millions!" he was screaming at her, but he didn't care. He had been so close to Rose. He had to find her. The Macra... no. He wouldn't even entertain that thought.

Her answer was soft, sad, and filled his stomach with ice. "But you're inside the Senate, right now. May the goddess Santori bless them."

He looked up, and sure enough, there were long rows of seats in a vast chamber. All of them containing skeletons.

"They died, Doctor. The city died."

He looked around in horror. "How long's it been like this?"

She sighed. "Twenty-four years."

They walked towards a skeleton, lying on the ground, and the Doctor knelt next to it. His anger was momentarily forgotten — he was now profoundly disturbed.

"All of them? Everyone? What happened?"

"A new chemical. A new mood. They called it Bliss." She knelt next to him and reached down, picking up a small circular token just like the ones the vendors were selling when they had arrived. This one, however, read BLISS. "Everyone tried it. They couldn't stop. A virus mutated inside the compound and became airborne. Everything perished — even the virus, in the end. It killed the world in seven minutes flat. There was just enough time to close down the walkways and the flyovers, sealing off the under-city. Those people on the motorway aren't lost, Doctor. They were saved."

They were both standing now, struck by the urgency of the situation.

"So the whole thing down there is running on automatic? All this time?"

"There's not enough power to get them out. We did all we could to stop the system from choking."

He looked at her. "Who's "we"? How did you survive?"

She brightened, pulling him toward something. "He protected me. And he has waited for you, these long years."

Not far off, a low, rumbling voice spoke, "Doctor."

The Doctor blinked and dashed over to find the Face of Boe, giving a cry of pleased surprise and kneeling in front of it as he did in the hospital where they last met. Novice Hame followed more slowly.

"The Face of Boe!"

The Face sent the equivalent of a smile to the Doctor. "I knew you would come."

Novice Hame sat near the tank. "Back in the old days, I was made his nurse, as penance for my sins."

"Old friend, what happened to you?" the Doctor asked.

"Failing."

"He protected me from the virus by shrouding me in his smoke. But with no one to maintain it, the City's power died. The under-city would have fallen into the sea," the nun explained.

"So he saved them," the Doctor said, understanding why he would.

"The Face of Boe wired himself into the mainframe. He's giving his life force just to keep things running."

The Doctor frowned. "But there are planets out there. You could have called for help."

She shook her head. "The last act of the Senate was to declare New Earth unsafe. The automatic quarantine lasts for one hundred years."

The Doctor looked back at the Face of Boe, concerned, and then stood. "So the two of you stayed here — on your own, for all these years."

"We had no choice," Novice Hame said simply.

The Doctor reached out to her, touched her shoulder. "Yes, you did."

The Face of Boe spoke again, pleading with the Time Lord. "Save them, Doctor. Save them."

Rose, Milo, and Cheen were still silent, still stationary; the couple now less panicked and more completely hopeless, while Rose tried to think of another option for them. Anything to buy time for the Doctor to come.

"How much air's left?" Cheen asked.

"Two minutes."

"There's always the Doctor. He'll save us," Rose promised.

Milo shook his head. "Rose, no one's coming."

The blonde woman blinked back tears. "I won't give up on him. Not this time."

"He looked kind of nice," Cheen offered.

She shook her head. "He's a bit more than that."

"Are you and him...?"

Rose smiled softly. "Yeah. I didn't think he could really feel that way about me. I'm nothing special, you know, but he does. Oh he does so much, and I won't ever stop believing in him."

Cheen shook her head. Everything outside was quiet now. "I never even asked. Where's home?"

"My home is with the Doctor," the time traveler said confidently. "It always was, even before I met him. But now... well, there's nothing for me where I came from. I lost my mum, my best friend growing up, my job, my flat... it's all gone. He's... he's my everything now."

Milo watched her while she spoke. "So, um, who is he, then? This Doctor?"

"He's a hero, and our best hope," Rose said. "I can't really tell you more than that."

"So that means that … the only hope, right now is … a complete stranger," Cheen laughed, though it was without any sort of humor. She was horrified by the thought. "Well, that's no use!"

"It is, though, because you haven't seen the things he can do," Rose assured her. "You may not know him, but I do. I'm all he has too, and after what he's gone through, there's no way he would give up on me. Honestly, just trust me, both of you. You've got your faith, you've got your songs and your hymns. And I've got my Doctor."

"Right," Milo said. "Well, no sense suffocating while he's working on a rescue then." He turned the car back on.

"Systems back on line."

The lights come on again, and Milo gripped Cheen's hand briefly.

"Good luck to us," he said grimly.

The Macra seemed to wake and were attacking once more, and Car Four Six Five Diamond Six ducked and dodged through them.

In the Senate Chambers, the Doctor was staring into a screen, specs now on. "Car Four Six Five Diamond Six — it still registers! That's my Rose! I knew she was good. Novice Hame, hold that in place."

He jumped back from the screen and handed her a piece of thick tubing. Once she had it, he ran along its length, jumping over a box of lights and buttons.

"Think, think, think. Take the residual energy, invert it, feed it through the electricity beds," he muttered.

"There isn't enough power," she told him again.

The Doctor reached his destination: a far wall with two screens, lots of wiring, and even more buttons.

"Ah, you've got power! You've got me! I'm brilliant with computers, just you watch," he replied, faking confidence while he studied the panels. He turned around after a moment and pointed to her, yelling, getting more excited every moment. "Hame, every switch on that bank, up to maximum!"

The Doctor rotated a knob in a console on the floor, aiming the sonic screwdriver at it as well. "I can't power up the city, but all the city needs is people."

He banged his fist against the console and jumped up, frustrated and running out of ideas.

"What are you going to do?" Hame asked.

"This!" He flipped a two-metre-long switch on the floor, and all the lights on the consoles go out. "No, no no no no, no!"

He knelt on the floor again, waving his sonic screwdriver at another set of controls. "The transformers are blocked. The signal can't get through."

"Doctor …" the Face of Boe said quietly.

"Yeah, hold on, not now," the Doctor dismissed him for the moment.

"I give you my last …"

Boe let out a long, rasping breath, and every console switched back on. Everything was working. Everything was powered. The Doctor leaped up again, suddenly illuminated.

"Hame, look after him! Don't you go dying on me, you big old face. Rose will want to see you," he shouted, flicking the huge switch again.

Novice Hame busily turned a wheel next to the Face of Boe.

"The open road. Hah!"

Valerie and Brannigan, still sitting quietly in their car, heard a loud crack and bang.

"What in Jehovah was that?" Brannigan asked.

His wife gasped, "It's coming from above!"

"What is it? What's happening?!" he asked.

Martha looked out the window while Valerie hurriedly covered the mewling kittens.

Brannigan was gazing up out of his car with Martha. "By all the cats in the kingdom!"

Far above, a gap was forming at the top of the gridlock — above the lanes and lanes of cars, doors to the over-city were opening. Each crashing sound signified another barrier falling away.

"What is it?" Valerie asked as sunlight streamed through, covering her face.

The doors were almost all the way open now. There was a long pathway of light above the traffic.

Brannigan began to laugh like crazy with Martha grinned like a madwoman.

Valerie finally realized the source and gasped. "It's the sun! Oh, Brannigan!" She reached out to him, and then pulled the blanket off of her kittens. "Children, it's the sunlight!"

Her kittens purred happily, flooded by sun. The Doctor's face buzzed into life on the screen at the front of the car.

"Sorry, no Sally Calypso, she was just a hologram. My name's the Doctor."

"He's a magician," Brannigan beamed.

"He's the Doctor," Martha corrected.

The Doctor continued. "And this is an order. Everyone drive up. Right now."

"Is he serious?" the cat asked.

Valerie laughed in elated disbelief.

"I've opened the roof of the motorway. Come on. Throttle those engines. Drive up. All of you, the whole under-city. Drive up, drive up, drive up! Fast!" the Doctor instructed.

Shrugging and engaging the car, Brannigan grinned. "Here we go."

On the monitor, the orders continued. "We've got to clear that fast lane. Drive up and get out of the way."

All of the cars soared up to the opening, heading for the open sunlight as fast as they could.

Rose let out an elated sob as their screen showed the Doctor, too.

He grinned. "Oy! Car Four Six Five Diamond Six! Rose! Drive up!"

"That's my Doctor!" she praised.

Milo shook his head. "We can't go up! We'll hit the layer!"

"Just do as he says! Go up!"

The voice of the Doctor assured them. "You've got access above! Now go!"

Milo swung free of the last of the snapping claws and bursts up out of the fog, heading for the opening like everybody else. The three gazed up, the sunlight hitting their faces. Rose was beside herself with joy.

Cheen clasped her hands. "It's daylight! Oh my God. That's the sky, the real sky!"

"He did it!" Rose screamed with laughter, clapped, and gave Cheen a hug. "I told you, he did it!"

Milo and Cheen kissed, laughing.

The Doctor, holding a microphone, was watching the proceedings from a viewscreen in the Senate room. Novice Hame continued to twirl a wheel next to the Face of Boe.

"You keep driving, Brannigan, all the way up! 'Cause it's here, just waiting for you," he said over the broadcast. "The city of New New York. And it's yours. And don't forget — I want Martha and that coat back."

The voice of the cat returned with, "I reckon that's a fair bargain, sir."

The Doctor laughed. "And Car Four Six Five Diamond Six, I've sent you a flight path. Come to the Senate. You have something of mine that I need back, very much."

The voice that answered him brought tears to his eyes. "On my way!"

"It's been entirely too long since I saw you, Rose Tyler."

"Doctor!" Novice Hame exclaimed. She leaned desperately over the Face of Boe, as the case that enclosed him began to crack. The Doctor looked to them, his face falling.

Moments later, Rose leaped happily into the Senate room, but was a bit subdued by the skeleton lying on the floor in front of her.

"Doctor?" she called uncertainly.

"Rose!" he answered, standing and starting toward her.

"Doctor!" she cried out, smiling again, and running to him.

He caught her up in a tight hug, kissing her desperately. He pulled back to cup her face for a brief moment before crushing her to his chest again. She returned the embrace just as tightly.

"What happened here?" she finally asked.

"Come," he said softly, leading her to Novice Hame, kneeling in front of the dying Face of Boe.

She frowned and knelt also, placing a hand on Boe's cheek. "Oh... Boe... what's happened?"

The Doctor took a knee next to her, a comforting hand on her back. "He's the one that saved you, not me."

"My lord gave his life to save the city," Novice Hame said mournfully. "And now he's dying."

"No, don't say that. Not old Boe. Plenty of life left," the Doctor argued, hating to say goodbye to a friend.

"It's good to breathe the air once more," the Face said. "And Rose Tyler, you are just as lovely as I remembered."

She gave him a watery smile. "Now, Boe, you've lived for billions of years. Isn't that right? And you're not about to give up now."

The three people didn't look up when Martha entered the room with the Doctor's coat. She saw them, but she held back at the mournful scene.

"Everything has its time. You know that, old friends, better than most."

"The legend says more," the nun spoke.

"Don't," the Doctor argued. "There's no need for that."

"It says that the Face of Boe will speak his final secret to a traveller," she continued.

Rose shot her a look that plainly told her to shut it. "Yeah, but not yet. Who needs secrets, eh?"

The Face sighed weakly. "I have seen so much. Perhaps too much. I am the last of my kind — as you are the last of yours, Doctor."

The Doctor looked absolutely desperate now. He did not want this at all. It was hitting him much harder than the death of this entire planet did. Rose turned and pressed herself into his arms, trying to comfort him and give him strength.

"That's why we have to survive. Both of us. Don't go," he nearly begged sadly.

"I must. But know this, Time Lord. You are not alone," Boe said. "And I do not mean your angel."

Rose gave a sobbing laugh.

"You are one, Doctor and Rose Tyler. But... there is...someone..."

Though before it seemed as though the Doctor would weep, now he was astounded — he stared over Rose's head, uncomprehending, as the Face of Boe's eyes closed for the last time. Martha looked on with respect from the entrance and Rose and Novice Hame began to sob. Martha moved closer, laying a sympathetic hand on the Doctor's shoulder, and he looked up. She nearly stepped back at the depth of unfathomable sorrow in his eyes, but gave him a squeeze.

He stood, pulling Rose up with him.

Hours later, the Doctor and Rose stood on the same hill they had landed on the first time they'd visited this world, looking over the city of New New York. Martha had taken an offer from Brannigan and Valerie to have dinner with them, and jokingly told them to behave while she was gone.

Rose nuzzled closer to him as she breathed the scent of apple grass deeply. "I almost thought I wouldn't see you again."

"No fear of that, Rose Tyler. You're stuck with me for all of time," he answered easily.

She sighed heavily. "I know, and that is what makes it so wonderful. All of time, us, floating around in the TARDIS, and seeing everything."

He smiled down at her. "I asked you once how long you planned to stay with me," he said, his tone soft and hesitant. "You were the only person who ever gave that answer without any sort of hesitation."

She looked up. "Forever. I still plan that."

"You were also the only companion I ever asked to join me twice," he continued, trailing his thumb over her cheek. "Before I met you, if someone said no... I just moved on."

She giggled softly. "I'm glad you came back then."

"Rose... I don't deserve you. I cost you everything..."

She pulled back, frowning deeply at him. "Now look here, Doctor. You haven't cost me anything. I chose you. I will always choose you. Even knowing what I know, I would have made the same choices, because I need to be with you."

"My wonderful, perfect, oh so human, Rose..." he bent and kissed her. "Marry me."

She pulled back, gaping at him in shock. "What?"

He pulled out the box he had shown Martha, holding it out to her and opening it. Inside sat a ring with a diamond that couldn't be found anywhere in the universe anymore. She gasped.

"Doctor..."

"This came from my home, from Gallifrey. It's a white point star diamond. It's the last bit of my past that I can share with you, and I would put this on no one else's hand."

Rose trembled. "I... I don't... oh... Doctor..."

"Please, Rose," he whispered. "Don't ask me to give up the one thing in this universe that I can count on. Don't ask me to live with you in the TARDIS and not share everything with you. Please… be my wife."

"Yes," she murmured, looking up at him. She beamed, tears falling from those hazel eyes he loved so much. "Yes! Oh Doctor!"

Rose threw her arms around his neck and laughed, raining kisses on his face. He lifted her up and swung her in a circle before setting her on her feet again and sliding the ring onto her finger. Rose stared at the ring for a moment.

"Oh Doctor…" she said before bursting into laughter.

"What?" he asked, touching his forehead to hers.

She shook her head. "I feel like a housewife from the fifties, calling the man I love and plan to marry by his title."

He tipped his head. "I hadn't thought of that. When we marry, I will tell you my true name, and you'll be the only one who will ever know… but I can see how your human upbringing would make you want something else to call me…"

She grinned at him, that tongue in teeth grin that made him quite forget what he was supposed to be doing. "Doctor… species insulting again…"

"No!" he said quickly, dropping a kiss on her nose. "Not on purpose, at least. Just saying… well, I mean that… I had a nickname in the academy, when I was younger. They called me Theta. You could… if you wanted to use that instead of Doctor…"

She tried it. "Theta."

The Doctor shivered, blinking rapidly. He hadn't expected himself to react quite that way. It had been a very old nickname, that he hadn't heard in a very… _very_ long time, but it sounded so intimate coming from Rose. He could grow fond of that quite quickly.

Rose couldn't help the smile that came at his reaction. "I think I'll hold onto that name. It might come in handy… later."

He groaned. "You are quite impossible to resist, Rose Tyler."

She laughed. "Do you really want to?"

"Not anymore," he assured her. "Never again."

_A/N: So…? Please leave that beautiful little review from beautiful little you and let me know how I'm doing. I live for these reviews, you know._


	6. 0304 Daleks in Manhattan

_A/N: Every episode posted gets me closer to my favorite of season three, but I'm not telling you which one that is. But I encourage you to leave a review with your guess as to which it is! Also going to start taking suggestions for the wedding of the Doctor and Rose Tyler. Details still being planned include: place, guests, date, and customs followed during the ceremony. I look forward to your suggestions and will give credits out to those whose suggestions I use!_

Season Three: "Daleks in Manhattan"

The TARDIS and its occupants were on a lovely planet with purple grass and a yellow sky, and Martha was thrilled with the scenery.

"I still can't believe the grass is _purple_," she said, for the fourth time.

Rose laughed, pulling up a handful and flinging it at her. "I can't believe that's what you're hung up on. You do realize there's a tree that has marshmallow fruit, right?"

The Doctor coughed. "Well… technically it's not marshmallow, but a similar organic structure, not unlike…"

He stopped at the look in the eyes of his fiancée and grinned. He had a fiancée. The blonde lay back in the grass and giggled. "I can't believe we managed to spend three whole days somewhere and no one tried to kill us."

The Doctor sat near her, not even trying to hide his grin when she wriggled around and placed her head in his lap. He stroked her hair lovingly as Martha flopped down.

"So what are we going to do next?" she asked. "Don't tell me it's time to go home."

"Oh, don't take Martha back yet," Rose pleaded. "She didn't even get to see anything truly wonderful yet. Sure Shakespeare, and New New York… but… can't we go somewhere… glitzy?"

"Yeah, Doctor," their friend chimed in. "I want to see something glamorous before I have to go back to my ordinary life."

He pretended to consider it, even though he'd agreed in his mind the moment Rose asked him. "Well… I imagine we could go one more place…"

Martha whooped in victory, but Rose just grinned. She knew by the look on his face she was getting spoiled. Who knew her dream man would turn out to be a 900 year old alien? She pulled him down for a kiss and whispered, "Thank you Theta."

He smiled widely at her before getting up. "Alright then, let's go to our next destination!"

He pulled both women to their feet and they ran to the TARDIS, laughing. He whirled knobs and pressed buttons, and flipped levers.

"Where are we going?" the medical student asked, leaning against the rail near the captain's chair that Rose had claimed.

"Oh no," the Doctor laughed. "I'm not about to ruin the surprise, Martha Jones. And don't you ask either, Rose. I am allowed some secrets."

She grinned. "I've no intention of asking, love. I like being surprised."

He just shot her a grin and continued his adjustments.

When they arrived at their destination, Martha was the first out the door, and called back in to the pair who were still at the console, kissing. "Where are we?"

The Doctor smiled, and followed her out, holding Rose's hand. "Ah, smell that Atlantic breeze. Nice and cold. Lovely. Martha, have you met my friend?"

He gestured up and the medical student's jaw dropped.

"Is that-? Oh my God! That's the Statue of Liberty!"

Rose smiled at the symbol of America.

"Gateway to the New World. 'Give me you tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to break free…'"

"Show off," his fiancée nudged him. "You think you're so impressive."

He beamed at her, the old taunt now just made him want to laugh, or kiss her. "I am so impressive."

Martha missed the exchanged. "That's so brilliant. I've always wanted to go to New York. I mean the real New York, not the new, new, new, new, new…"

The three of them walked to the edge of the island and admired the view of the Manhattan skyline.

"Well, here's the genuine article. So good, they named it twice. Mind you, it was New Amsterdam originally. Harder to say twice. Now wonder it didn't catch on. New Amsterdam, New Amsterdam," the Doctor teased.

"I wonder what year it is 'cause look, the Empire State Building's not even finished yet," she marveled.

"Work in progress. Still got a couple floors to go, and if I know my history, that makes the date somewhere around—"

Rose answered. "November 1, 1930."

The Doctor beamed with pride. "You're getting good at this."

She shook her head and held up a newspaper. "I've learned to read the papers."

"Eighty years ago," Martha grinned, taking the paper. "It's funny 'cause you see all those old newsreels in black and white like it's so far away, but here we are. It's real. It's now. Come on, you two. Where do we go first?"

"I think our detour just got longer," he frowned, suddenly taking the paper and showing them the headline.

Rose read aloud, "'Hooverville Mystery Deepens'. What's Hooverville?"

He led them away, and soon they were on a casual stroll through the park.

The Doctor explained. "Herbert Hoover, 31st President of the USA, came to power a year ago. Up till then New York was a boom town, the Roaring Twenties, and then…"

"The Wall Street Crash, yeah?" Martha asked. "When was that, 1929?"

"Good," he praised her knowledge. "Whole economy wiped out overnight. Thousands of people unemployed. Suddenly the huddled masses doubled in number with nowhere to go. So they ended up here in Central Park."

"What? They actually live in the park? In the middle of the city?" Rose said.

They arrived at Hooverville; a collection of quickly put together shacks and tents with random fire barrels placed throughout.

The Doctor seemed sad. "Ordinary people. Lost their jobs. Couldn't pay the rent and they lost everything. There are places like this all over America. You only come to Hooverville when there's nowhere else to go."

They heard shouting from another part of Hooverville. Two men were fighting.

"You thievin' lowlife!"

People were trying to break up the fight as the three travelers got closer. An older man, Solomon, steps out of his tent and tried to stop the fight.

"Cut that out!" He shouted, even though the two men ignored Solomon and kept fighting. "Cut that out! Right now!" He pushed the two men apart.

"He stole my bread!" one of the men yelled.

"That's enough! Did you take it?"

"I don't know what happened. He just went crazy," the other man shouted.

The first man lunged but was held back.

"That's enough!"

Other residents of Hooverville were beginning to wander over to see what was going on. The Doctor and the women among them.

"Now think real careful before you lie to me," the leader said carefully.

"I'm starvin', Solomon."

The man identified as Solomon held out his hand and the man reached under his coat and pulled out the bread, handing it over to him.

"We're all starvin'," Solomonsaid simply, breaking the bread in half and giving one half to each man. "We all got families somewhere. No stealin' and no fightin'. You know the rules. Thirteen years ago I fought in the Great War. A lot of us did. And the only reason we got through was because we stuck together! No matter how bad things get, we still act like human beings. It's all we got."

The men nodded shamefully and went their own way.

"I suppose that makes you the boss around here."

The man looked surprised. "And, uh, who might you be?"

"He's the Doctor. She's Rose. I'm Martha."

"A doctor. Well, we got, uh, stockbrokers, we got a lawyer, but you're the first doctor. Neighbourhood gets classier by the day," Solomon laughed, warming his hands over a fire.

"How many people live here?" Rose asked, looking around.

"At any one time, hundreds. No place else to go. But I will say this about Hooverville. We are a truly equal society, black, white, all the same. All starving," Solomon laughed a bit. "So you're welcome. All three of you. But tell me, Doctor, you're a man of learning, right? Explain this to me. That there's going to be the tallest building in the world. How come they can do that, and we got people starving in the heart of Manhattan?"

Later that day, after having looked around Hooverville, the Doctor and Rose approached Solomon as Martha helped out in the infirmary for a while.

"So…men are going missing. Is this true?" the Doctor asked, holding up the newspaper.

"It's true all right," the man said, going into his tent.

The Doctor stood at opening of tent. "But what does missing mean? Men must come and go here all the time. It's not like anyone's keeping a register."

"C'mon in. This is different."

The Doctor and Rose entered and sat closely on a crate.

Rose asked. "In what way?"

The leader of the makeshift village shrugged. "Someone takes them. At night. We hear something. Someone calls out for help. By the time we get there, they're gone. Like they vanish into thin air."

"And you're sure someone's taking them?" the Doctor questioned him.

The man gave him a look. "Doctor, when you got next to nothing, you hold on to the little you got. Your knife, blanket, you take it with you. You don't leave bread uneaten, fire still burning."

"Have you been to the police?" the woman wanted to know, understanding. She'd grown up without a lot. You didn't leave behind useful things without good reason, unless there was no choice.

"Yeah, we tried that. Another deadbeat goes missing, big deal," he snorted bitterly.

The Doctor frowned thoughtfully. "So, the question is, who's taking them and what for?"

A young man stuck his head in the tent. "Solomon, Mr. Diagoras is here."

Solomon nodded. "Thanks Frank."

They headed out to where people had gathered around a wealthy looking man.

"I need men," he called. "Volunteers. I got a little work for you and you sure look like you can use the money."

"Yeah. What is the money?" the young man from before called out.

"A dollar a day."

Martha rejoined them as the men grumbled.

"What's the work?" Solomon asked the man.

"A little trip down the sewers. Got a tunnel that collapsed needs clearing and fixing. Any takers?"

"A dollar a day? That's slave wage. Men don't always come back up, do they?" Solomon pressed on.

The man shrugged. "Accidents happen."

The Doctor asked the man. "What do you mean? What sort of accidents?"

"You don't need the work? That's fine. Anybody else? Enough with the questions."

The Doctor had raised his hand, and smiled cheerfully at the man in the suit.

"Oh, n-n-no. I'm volunteering."

Rose raised her hand, her other hand gripping his tightly. "Where you go, I go."

Martha raised her hand and looked at the Doctor. "I'll kill you for this."

Solomon and Frank raised their hands as well.

Soon enough the small group were in the sewers, and Diagoras was giving them instructions.

"Turn left. Go about half a mile. Follow Tunnel 273. Fall's right ahead of you. You can't miss it."

"And when do we get our dollar?" Frank asked.

"When you come back up."

With a cheeky grin, the Doctor asked, "And if we don't come back up?"

The man smiled coldly. "Then I got no one to pay."

"We'll be back," Solomon nodded.

Martha couldn't help but mutter, "Let's hope so."

The two men from Hooverville started down the tunnel. Martha and Rose took a few steps, but the blonde woman stopped, waiting for the Doctor, who just stared at Diagoras before turning and joining them.

"We just gotta stick together. It's easy to get lost. It's like a huge rabbit warren. You could hide an army down here," the young man said grimly.

"So what about you, Frank? You're not from around these parts, are you?" Martha asked.

"Oh, you could talk," he teased. "No, no, I'm from Tennessee, born and bred."

"So how come you're here?"

He shrugged. "Uh, my daddy died. Mama…couldn't afford to feed us all. So, I'm the oldest, up to me to feed myself, so put on my coat, hitched up here on the railroads. There's a whole lot of runaways in camp younger than me. From all over; Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas… Solomon keeps a lookout for us. So, what about you? You're a long way from home."

"Yeah, I'm just a hitcher too."

He offered her his arm with a wry grin. "You stick with me, you'll be all right."

"So this Diagoras bloke, who is he then?" the Doctor asked, walking along with his fiancee's hand firmly grasped in his own. He could feel her ring, turned inwards to discourage any unfortunate people around the camp from trying to steal it.

Solomon sneered in distaste. "A couple of months ago, he was just another foreman. Now it seems like he's running most of Manhattan."

"How did he manage that, then?" she asked curiously.

"These are strange times," the man answered. "A man can go from being King of the Hill to the lowest of the low overnight. It's just for some folks it works the other way 'round."

"Whoa!" the doctor exclaimed, seeing a blob lying on the ground giving off a sick green light.

Martha moved forward. "Is it radioactive or something?"

The Doctor sat down his torch and crouched beside it. A finger poked into the mass.

" It's gone off, whatever it is," Martha said with a frown.

The Doctor slipped on his glasses and carefully picks up the slimy blob.

Rose covered a laugh. "And you've got to pick it up. You lick that thing you'll not be kissing me for a week."

He grinned while he sniffed it. "Shine your torch through it. Composite organic matter. Martha? Medical opinion?"

"It's not human. I know that," she said.

Solomon and Frank looked on, puzzled.

Rose frowned. There was such a familiar feeling to the blob the Doctor was holding. Something niggled the back of her mind, but she couldn't place it.

"No, it's not. And I'll tell you something else. We must be at least half a mile in and I don't see any sign of a collapse, do you? So why did Mr. Diagoras send up down here?"

"So where are we now? What's above us?" Martha wondered.

The Doctor looked up. "Well…we're right underneath Manhattan."

"We're way beyond half a mile. There's no collapse, nothing," Solomon said, frowning deeply.

"That Diagoras bloke, was he lying?" Martha asked.

The Doctor stood. "Looks like it."

Frank frowned. "So why did he want people to come down here?"

"Solomon, I think it's time you took these two back," the Doctor said grimly, indicating Frank and Martha. "I'll be much quicker on my own."

"Don't you want me to take your lady also?" the man asked the Doctor pointedly.

Glancing at his fiancée, he cringed, "Ahhh, no thanks. I quite like my body the way it's currently arranged."

"Quite right," Rose nodded. "You leave me behind now, I'll trigger your next regeneration, love."

He started to say something, but they heard a squealing echo in the tunnels.

Solomon looked up in surprise. "What the hell was that?"

Frank shined his torch down the way. "Hello?!"

Martha put a hand over his, lowering the light as she shushed him.

"What if it's one of the folk gone missing? You'd be scared, half-mad down here on your own," the young man tried to reason.

A sad look on his face, the Doctor asked him bluntly, "Do you think they're still alive?"

He shrugged, still hopeful. "Heck, we ain't seen no bodies down here. Maybe they just got lost."

More squeals echoed off the damp walls.

Solomon shook his head. "I know I never heard nobody make a sound like that."

The Doctor walked a little ahead of them, careful to keep Rose just a half step behind.

"Sounds like there's more than one of 'em," Frank said, a bit wary now.

"This way."

Solomon stopped him, having shined his light down another tunnel. "No, that way." The light of Solomon's torch caught a huddled figure on the ground.

"Who are you?" the town leader called out.

"Are you lost? Can you understand me? I've been thinkin' about folk lost…" Frank tried, starting to walk forward but the Doctor stopped him.

"It's all right, Frank. Just stay back. Let me have a look," he walked toward the figure, trying to ignore Rose two steps behind. "He's got a point, though, my mate Frank. I'd hate to be stuck down here on my own. We know the way out. Daylight. If you want to come with us. Oh, but what are you?

As he said the last bit, he shined the light on the creature's face, revealing some sort of hybrid pig-man creature. Rose gasped and knelt beside it.

Solomon jerked at the sight. "Is, uh, that some kind of carnival mask?"

"No, it's real. I'm sorry. Now listen to me. I promise I can help. Now, who did this to you?"

"Doctor, Rose, I think you'd better get back here," Martha said in a warning tone as more pig men fill the opposite end of the tunnel.

Rose looks up and gasps, grabbing his arm tightly. "Doctor!"

He looks, then stands, gripping Rose's hand tight. "Actually…good point."

They backed toward the others. The pig men advanced.

"They're following you," Martha pointed out.

"Yeah, I noticed that, thanks," the Doctor gave a forced laugh. "Well then, Martha, Frank, Solomon…"

Martha was afraid to ask. "What?"

"Um, basically…" the Doctor hesitated.

Rose shook her head, tugging at him. "Run!"

The group raced down the tunnel to a cross-section where Martha stopped in confusion. "Where are we going?!"

"This way!" the Doctor shouted, veering right.

The pig men continued chasing them through the sewers to a joining tunnel.

"There's a ladder!" Rose shouted. "Quick now!"

The Doctor climbed the ladder and used the sonic screwdriver on the lid. Rose then Martha followed. Solomon hesitated when he saw Frank pick up a metal rod to try and hold them off.

"Frank!" he shouted as he climbed the ladder.

Seeing that the others are safe, Frank ran for the ladder and started climbing. The Doctor and Solomon reached down their hands.

"C'mon, Frank! C'mon!" Solomon urged.

Clasping his hand, the Doctor gasped out, "I've got ya. C'mon!"

They pulled, but the pig men grasped Frank's legs. Rose and Martha grabbed the men on the surface as they started to topple forward from the sudden tug. Martha screamed as the creatures pulled the young man out of their hands.

"Frank!"

"No!" the Doctor cried out.

Solomon shoved the Doctor aside and closed the lid before one of the pig men could climb up.

"We can't go after him," the man said firmly.

The Doctor argued, "We gotta go back down! We can't just leave him!"

Solomon shook his head. "No, I'm not losing anybody else! Those creatures were from Hell! From Hell itself!"

Rose hugged him, understanding why he hated losing people better than most. "Love, if we go after them, they'll take us all! There's nothing we can do right now. I'm so sorry."

A blonde woman stepped out from behind a shelf in the prop room, a gun pointed at them. "All right then. Put 'em up."

Without hesitation, Martha put her hands up.

The woman cocked the gun. "Hands in the air and no funny business."

The rest put their hands up also.

"Now tell me, you schmucks, what've you done with Lazlo?"

"Who's Lazlo?" Rose asked, exchanging confused looks with the rest of them.

She ushered them to her dressing room, but still had the gun aimed at them. "Lazlo's my boyfriend, or was my boyfriend until two weeks ago. No letter, no good-bye, no nothin'. And I'm not stupid," she waved the gun carelessly while she explained. "I know some guys are just pigs but not my Lazlo. I mean, what kinda guy asks you to meet his mother before he vamooses?"

The Doctor kept trying to shield Rose, watching the movement of the gun. "It might, might just help if you put that down."

"Huh?" She looked down at the gun and tossed it onto a chair. "Oh, sure."

The four people cringed and ducked away.

"Oh, c'mon. It's not real. It's just a prop. It was either that or a spear," she said with exasperation.

Rose moved around the Doctor and took the woman's hand. She could sympathize, remembering how she felt being separated from the Doctor on New Earth. "What do you think happened to Lazlo?"

"I wish I knew. One minute he's there, the next, zip—vanished."

The Doctor didn't care for his fiancee holding hands with a woman who had pointed a gun at them, fake or not. "Listen, ah—what's your name?"

"Tallulah."

He nodded. "Tallulah."

"Three Ls and an H."

"Right," he nodded. "Um, we can try to find Lazlo, but he's not the only one. There are people disappearing every night."

Solomon spoke. "And there are creatures. Such creatures."

"Whaddaya mean 'creatures'?" Tallulah asked sharply.

The Doctor shot the man a quelling look. "Look. Listen, just trust me. Everyone is in danger. I need to find out exactly what this is because then I'll know exactly what we're fighting." He pulled the blob they had

Rose sighed. "In your pocket, Doctor? Really? "

Tallulah jerked back. "Yech!"

The Doctor smiled a bit at his Rose and moved out of the room to the props ares, scavenging for pieces of equipment. Solomon followed, leaving the women in Tallulah's dressing room.

Solomon brought him a radio. "How about this? I found it backstage."

"Perfect. It's the capacitors I need. I'm just rigging up a crude little DNA scan for this beastie. If I can get a chromosomal reading, I'll find out where it's from," the Doctor smiled, immediately starting to take it apart with the sonic screwdriver.

"How about you, Doctor? Where are you from? I've been all over. I've never heard anybody talk like you. Just exactly who are you?"

The Doctor took out a piece from the radio and blew on it.

"Oh, we're just sort of passing by."

Solomon frowned. "I'm not a fool, Doctor."

"No. Sorry," he said, working with the peices.

Solomon walked over to the sewer lid and looked down at it. "I was so scared, Doctor. I let them take Frank 'cause I was just too scared. I gotta get back to Hooverville. With these creatures on the loose, we gotta protect ourselves. Ain't no one else gonna help us."

The Doctor looked up at him and nodded. "Good luck."

"I hope you find what you're looking for. For all our sakes," he sighed before he turned and left.

Tallulah had changed into her costume, and was now putting on her makeup for the performance. Martha was sitting in a chair, watching, while Rose paced impatiently.

The chorus girl was telling them about her boyfriend. "Lazlo…He'd wait for me after the show, walk me home like I was a lady. He'd leave a flower for me on my dressing table. Every day, just a single rose."

Martha moved over near the girl. "Haven't you reported him missing?"

The chorus girl laughed harshly. "Sure. He's just a stagehand. Who cares? The management certainly don't."

"Can't you kick up a fuss or something?"

Rose shook her head at Martha's question. It was clear she'd grown up in a nicer neighbourhood than the Powell Estates. She could recall, growing up, how once in a while one of the neighbour kids would run off, or get mixed up in stupid stuff, or a woman with a mean boyfriend would disappear for a few days and turn up with bruises and who knew what else. The police never did anything unless they had to. Not for them. Not unless they turned up dead.

Apparently it was much the same for Tallulah. "Okay, so then they fire me."

The medical student reasoned, "But they'd listen to you. You're one of the stars."

She smiled, a bit sadly. "Oh, honey, I got one stone in a back street revue and that's only because Heidi Chicane broke her ankle—which had nothin' to do with me whatever anybody says. I can't afford to make a fuss. If I don't make this month's rent, then before you know it, I'm in Hooverville."

Rose moved over and hugged her. "It's okay, Tallulah. I understand."

"It's the Depression, sweetie. Your heart might break, but the show goes on and if it stops, you starve. Every night I have to go out there, sign, dance, keep goin'. Hoping he's gonna come back..." the starlet began to cry.

After a moment, Tallulah pulls out of the hug and wipes her eyes. Rose moved to the door to peek out at the Doctor.

"Hey, you're lucky, though," the chorus girl said to Martha. "You got yourself a forward thinking guy with that hot potato in the sharp suit."

"Uh, he's not—we're not…together," Martha corrected her, flustered.

"Oh, sure you are. I've seen the way you look at him. It's obvious."

She shook her head. "No! He's a friend! Just a good friend. He and Rose are engaged. Even if I did want him that way, there's nothing going to come between them."

"Oh, I shoulda realized," the starlet smiled. "Ain't she the lucky one, then? Still, ya gotta live in hope. It's the only thing that's kept me going 'cause… look," She picked up the white rosebud from her table. "On my dressing table every day still."

Martha took the rose. "You think it's Lazlo?"

Tallulah sighed. "I don't know. If he's still around, why's he bein' all secret like he doesn't want me to see him?"

The Doctor was up in the balcony with the blob hooked up to his hand-made scanner. He set the beam from one of the stage lights on it.

"That's it. Let's warm you up," he mumbled to himself, slipping on his glasses and examining it.

Tallulah took both Martha and Rose's arms. "Girls, it's showtime! Ya ever seen one of these shows?"

The Doctor was deep in thought over his find. "This is artificial. Genetically engineered. Whoever this is, oh, you're clever."

Down below, Tallulah's show begins, with her in a sequined angel costume, singing. As the dance started, Martha and Rose, watching from the wings, saw a pig man who looked different from the others standing in the opposite wings, seemingly just watching. Martha cut across the stage, followed by Rose, trying to hide behind the chorus line.

"What are you doing?" one of the dancers snapped.

Martha moved to the next girl, accidentally grabbing her tail, causing her to fall.

"What are you doing?" Tallulah hissed.

"You're on my tail! Get off my tail!" another girl groaned.

The Doctor missed this little debacle, and had a stethoscope on the blob. "Fundamental DNA type 467-989. 989. Hold on, that means planet of origin..." He looked down at it in horror. "Skaro. No... Rose!"

The Doctor leapt to his feet and rushed toward backstage. The only person the Daleks hated as much as him was a certain pink and yellow human that he couldn't live without.

In the show he hadn't been watching was a pair of ladies who were not dancers and one annoyed star who ordered, "Get off the stage! You're spoilin' it!"

"But look!" Martha insisted, pointing to the wings. "Over there!"

The pig man realized he'd been spotted and was startled. Tallulah screamed and he ran, followed by Rose and Martha.

Rose called out, "Wait! But you're different than the others! Just wait!"

The rushed into the prop room, but there was no sign of the pig man. The two just looked at each other, hearing a noise behind them.

The Doctor rushed backstage, looking around at the chorus girls.

"It was like something out of a movie show. Oh, that face. I ain't never gonna sleep," one of them said.

"Tallulah," he cried. "Where is Rose? Where's Martha?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. They ran off the stage."

There was a scream, then two, and the Doctor felt his hearts plummet. "Rose!"

He immediately ran to save them followed by Tallulah. They reached the prop room, but there was no sign of either woman.

"Rose!" he shouted, furious with himself for leaving her side for even a moment. The Doctor noticed the sewer lid is crooked so he grabbed his coat and puts it on.

"Oh, where are you goin'?" Tallulah asked.

"They've taken her," he said, the expression in his eyes ready to destroy anything and everything that tried to stand between him and Rose.

"Who's taken her?"

The Doctor began to climb down into the sewer.

"What're y' doin'? I said, what the hell are ya doin'? Crazy guy," Tallulah found a long coat to put on over her costume and followed.

"No, no, no, no, no way. You're not coming," the Doctor insisted.

She poked him in the chest. "Tell me what's going on."

He scowled. "There's nothing you can do. Go back."

"Look, whoever's taken your Rose, they could've taken my Lazlo, couldn't they?"

"Tallulah, you're not safe down here."

She scowled at him. "Then that's my problem. Come on. Which way?"

Tallulah walks down a tunnel to the left.

The Doctor sighed heavily. "This way."

He went down the tunnel in front of them and Tallulah followed.

In another tunnel, Rose and Martha were being held by pig men.

"No! Let us go!" Martha cried out.

They pushed the women against a wall. More pig men came with humans in a line, one of who was Frank.

"Martha!"

"Frank! You're alive!" the medical student cried out, rushing over and hugging him.

"Hey," he said softly, hugging her back.

"I thought we'd lost you." She gave a sharp cry as a pig man pushed them to keep moving.

"All right! All right, we're moving," Rose snapped. "Just leave her alone."

"Wait. Where are they taking us?" Frank asked.

"I don't know, but we can find out what's going on down here," Rose said grimly.

The Doctor and Tallulah walked quickly.

"When you say 'They've taken her', who's they exactly? And who are you anyway? I never asked."

"Shh."

"Okay. Okay," she snapped.

"Shh, shh, shh."

In the weak light of the tunnel in front of them, a shadow was approaching.

The woman tried to explain, "I mean you're handsome and all—"

Frustrated, the Doctor put his hand over her mouth and pulls her back down the tunnel into a recess. A Dalek passed by without seeing them.

The Doctor scowled. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no. They survived. They always survive while I lose everything. Well, they can't have _her._"

She blinked. "That metal thing? What was it?"

"It's called a Dalek. And it's not just metal, it's alive."

She laughed. "You're kidding me."

The Doctor snapped, "Does it look like I'm kidding? Inside that shell is a creature born to hate, whose only thought is to destroy everything and everyone that isn't a Dalek too. It won't stop until it's killed every human being alive."

"But if it's not a human being, that kinda implies it's from outer space," she said, cringing when he glared at her. "Yet again, that's a "no" with the kidding. Boy… Well, what's it doin' here, in New York?"

He grabbed her by the arm. "Every second you're down here, you're in danger. I'm taking you back right now."

They turned a corner and saw a pig man, the one that was at the theatre. Tallulah screamed and the pig man tried to hide.

The Doctor moved closer. "Where's Rose? What have you done with her? And what have you done with Martha?"

"I didn't take her," the creature said.

He jerked in surprise. "Can you remember your name?"

The creature shifted away from them. "Don't look at me."

Tallulah moved toward the pig man. "Do you know where she is?"

"Stay back! Don't look at me!" he shouted, moving away.

"What happened to you?" the Doctor asked, moving to look at the creature. A closer look revealed that he was more man than pig.

"They made me a monster," the man said, deeply ashamed.

"Who did?"

"The masters."

He corrected, "The Daleks. Why?"

The pig man explained. "They needed slaves. They needed slaves to steal more people so they created us. Part animal, part human. I escaped before they got my mind, but it was still too late."

"Do you know what happened to Rose?" he asked.

"They took them. It's my fault. They were following me."

Tallulah frowned. "Were you in the theatre?"

"Yes."

She frowned and tipped her head. "Why? Why were you there?"

The man hung his head, "I never wanted you to see me like this."

"Why me? What do I gotta do with this? Were you following me? Is that why you were there?" she asked, needing to hear the answer.

"Yes." He turned around and faced her, keeping to the shadows.

"Who are you?"

He hung his head. "I was lonely."

"Who are you?" she repeated.

"I needed to see you."

Tallulah stepped toward him. "Who are you?"

"I'm sorry."

She grabbed his arm, "No, wait. Let me look at you." She placed him under the light. "Lazlo? My Lazlo? Oh, what have they done to you?"

"I'm sorry. So sorry," he said, as close to tears as she was.

As touching as the reunion was, the Doctor was getting desperate for Rose. "Lazlo, can you show me where they are?"

"They'll kill you," the man told him flatly.

"If I don't stop them, they'll kill my Rose, and everyone else."

Lazlo nodded, recognizing the determination. "Then follow me."

The prisoners they were looking for were being held not far away by pig men.

"What are they keeping us here for?" Frank asked.

Martha shook her head. "I don't know. I've just got a nasty feeling that we're being kept in the larder."

She glanced over at Rose, who was quieter than normal and noticed a gold spark in her eyes. Something bad was about to happen…

Lazlo led the Doctor and Tallulah through the tunnels and took them to where they could see Martha, Rose, and Frank. The pig men guarding the prisoners started squealing nervously.

The young man looked around in fear. "What're they doing? What's wrong? What's wrong?"

A Dalek glided into the tunnel. "Silence! Silence!"

Lazlo ducked back out of sight in fear.

"What the hell is that?" Martha gasped.

"A Dalek," Rose answered in a cold voice.

The Doctor watched, barely able to restrain himself.

The Dalek prodded the people. "You will form a line. Move."

The pig men pushed everyone into line.

"Just do what it says, everyone, okay? Just obey," Rose told the people, frowning from experience.

"The female is wise. Obey!"

A second Dalek arrived in the tunnel. "Report."

The first replied, "These are strong specimens. They will help the Dalek cause."

" Dalek?" Martha murmured to Rose. The blonde just shook her head, eyes trained on the things before her.

The first Dalek asked the second, "What is the status of the Final Experiment?"

"The Dalekanium is in place. The energy conductor is now complete."

"Then I will extract prisoners for selection."

A pig man brought an older black man forward and the Dalek extended his sucker towards the man's face.

"Intelligence scan. Initiate. Reading brain waves. Low intelligence."

The man looked insulted. "You calling me stupid?"

"This one will become a pig slave," the Dalek declared.

Two pig men pulled him away while he screamed, "No, let go of me! I'm not becoming one of them!"

Ignoring his screams, the Dalek moved to the next in line. "Intelligence scan. Initiate."

Lazlo whispered to them. "They're divided into two groups: high intelligence and low intelligence. The low intelligence are taken to become pig slaves like me."

"Well, that's not fair," the show girl said.

"Shh," the Doctor hushed violently.

The woman whispered, "You're the smartest guy I ever dated."

Ignoring her, the Doctor asked Lazlo, "And the others?"

"They're taken to the laboratory."

Alarmed, he glanced back out. "But why? What for?"

"I don't know. The masters only call it the Final…Experiment," the man said helplessly.

The Dalek scanned Frank. Superior intelligence." It turned on Martha next. "Intelligence scan. Initiate. Superior intelligence. This one will become part of the Final Experiment."

"You can't just experiment on people! It's insane! It's inhuman!" she cried.

The Dalek told her, "We are not human. Prisoners of high intelligence will be taken to the transgenic laboratory."

Finally, the Dalek turned to Rose, and the Doctor held his breath.

"Intelligence scan. Initiate. Alert! This prisoner is to be taken to the Leader!"

Martha looked at Rose in shock, even more surprised when she didn't seem at all surprised.

"Attention, the Abomination is to be guarded!"

Pig men stepped up to take hold of both her arms.

"Abomination?" Frank asked.

Martha shook her head. "Rose?"

"It's all right, Martha," she said softly. "I kind of expected this."

"Look out, they're moving!" the Doctor hissed, flattening himself against the wall.

Lazlo took Tallulah and headed down the tunnel. "Doctor. Doctor! Quickly!"

"I'm not going. I've got an idea. You go," the Time Lord said quickly.

"Lazlo, c'mon!"

He looked between them, then turned to Tallulah. "Can you remember the way?"

"Yeah, I think so," she nodded.

"Then go. Please."

"But Lazlo, you gotta come with me," the show girl insisted.

He shook his head. "Where would I go? Tallulah, I'm beggin you, save yourself. Just run. Just go. Go."

With a kiss to his cheek, Tallulah left and Lazlo rejoined the Doctor. The Daleks passed by and the Doctor fell in line between Martha and his fiancee while Lazlo took the place of one of the guards holding Rose.

"Just keep walking," he murmured, shooting his love a tight smile when she glanced back.

"About time you joined the party," she winked.

"I'm so glad to see you," Martha sighed.

"Yeah, well, you can kiss me later. You too, Frank, if you want," he joked.

"I don't think I'm going against Rose for that," the black woman shook her head.

They were brought into a lab, where two more Daleks were.

" Report," one of their captors said.

"Dalek Sec is in the final stage of evolution."

The Doctor and Rose both jerked at the name.

"Scan him. Prepare for birth."

"Evolution?"

The other pig man released Rose and moved away, so Lazlo was left holding her on his own.

"What's wrong with old Charlie boy over there?" Martha asked the Doctor.

"Ask them," he encouraged.

"What me? Don't be daft." She stared at him as though he were mad.

He raised a brow at her. "It's bad enough they've seen Rose, I don't exactly want to get noticed. Ask them what's going on."

Nodding, she took a deep breath. "Daleks, I demand to be told. What is this Final Experiment? Report!"

"You will bear witness," the Dalek, who seemed to be the second in command, said.

"To what?" she pressed.

"This is the dawn of a new age."

"What does that mean?"

The Dalek almost seemed to be bragging. "We are the only four Daleks so the species must evolve a life outside the shell. The Children of Skaro must walk again."

Dalek Sec's shell powered down then and the casing opened to reveal a human-dalek hybrid. The clothing was unmistakably that of Diagoras. The head was similar to a Dalek body with mouth, one eye, and tentacles. The hands were almost claw-like. The people in the room drew back.

"What is it?" Martha gasped.

The creature spoke slowly. "I am a human Dalek. I am your future."

_A/N: Well, here's the episode. Rose has been recognized and captured! Please, please, PLEASE review!_


	7. 0305 The Evolution of the Daleks

_A/N: I can't tell you all how utterly thrilled I was with your reviews! It warmed my heart so much, I just sat right down and finished this part for you. There wasn't a fluffy original bit at the end, because I just like the ending so much, but there will be more in the coming chapters. For instance, Blink will be almost entirely original, as we will be following more of what actually happened with our favorite time travelers in 1969, and there will be a quick extra adventure after the next episode, speaking of which, I need to get my little hands to work on that. Well, enjoy, and don't forget there's still a poll on for wedding details. Which reminds me, I did want to address one of the reviews. Someone asked if there was still a bit of the Time vortex in Rose, and I really thought I had put in a few details, but in case you missed them here's what has been revealed. 1) Rose did not lose all connection to the Time Vortex and Bad Wolf, because if she had, it would have killed her. 2) Rose is connected to the TARDIS and will live without aging until the TARDIS dies. 3) Rose, while still having been born a human, technically is not anymore as her cells have mutated and part of her exists outside of time. 4) When Rose, or someone she loves, is threatened, she can call a little of the Bad Wolf to help, but it takes a lot out of her. Hope that helps. She is not immortal, and she __**can**__ die. She cannot control time and space. And she doesn't suddenly know everything. She just got a bit of a boost that made her able to stay with her Doctor._

Season Three: "The Evolution of the Daleks"

The creature gestured to Martha, Frank, and the others. "These…humans will become like me."

The Doctor slipped unnoticed behind some machinery.

"Prepare them for hybridisation."

The pig slaves closed in on Martha, Frank and the other prisoners.

Martha jerked away from them. "Leave me alone! Don't you dare!"

Dalek Sec stepped toward Rose. "You will watch as we control the world, then we will destroy you. You are the Abomination."

"Right," she countered sarcastically. "I'm the freak in the room."

"We can exterminate you quicker, if you wish," he whispered darkly.

'Happy Days are Here Again' began playing and everyone stopped, wondering where it was coming from, except Rose, who grinned.

"What is that sound?" Dalek Sec asked, looking around.

The Doctor stepped out, a radio in his hands. "That would be me. Hello. Surprise. Boo. Et cetera. You didn't really think she would be here without me, did you?"

"Doctor," Dalek Sec named him.

"The enemy of the Daleks!"

"Exterminate!"

Dalek Sec held up a hand. "Wait."

The Doctor approached, "Well, then. A new form of Dalek. Fascinating and very clever."

The hybrid nodded. "The Cult of Skaro escaped your slaughter."

He frowned thoughtfully. "How did you end up in 1930?"

"Emergency Temporal Shift."

"Oh, that must have roasted up your power cells, yeah?" He moved about the lab, looking around. "Time was, four Daleks could have conquered the world but instead your skulking away, hidden in the dark, experimenting. All of which results in you."

The creature spread its hands. "I am Dalek in human form."

The Doctor looked closely at the hybrid. "What does it feel like? You can talk to me, Dalek Sec. It is Dalek Sec, isn't it? That's your name? You've got a name and a mind of your own. Tell me what you're thinking right now."

After a moment's thought, Dalek Sec answered, "I…feel…humanity."

"Good," the Doctor encouraged. "That's good."

"I…feel…everything we wanted from mankind, which is ambition, hatred, aggression and war. Such…a genius for war."

Rose stepped up, taking the Doctor's hand as the others in the room watched in horrified amazement. "No, that's not what humanity means."

The human Dalek shook his head. "I think it does. At heart, this species is so very…Dalek."

"All right, so what have you achieved hen? With this Final Experiment, eh? Nothing! 'Cause I can show you what you're missing with this thing. Simple little radio." The Doctor moved over to the radio, patting it with one hand while the other clung to Rose.

"What is the purpose of that device?" one of the Daleks demanded.

The Doctor laughed a bit. "Well, exactly. It plays music. What's the point of that? Oh, with music, you can dance to it, sing with it, fall in love to it. Unless you're a Dalek of course. Then it's just noise."

He aimed the sonic screwdriver at the radio and a high pitch wail emanated from it. Dalek Sec held his head in pain while the other Daleks spun and waved their probes erratically. The Doctor turned to the prisoners.

"Run!"

The prisoners ran for escape and the Doctor followed them, holding Rose as tight as he could grip her hand.

Behind them came yells, "Protect the hybrid! Protect. Protect. Protect."

Martha led the prisoners running through the sewers, the Doctor and Rose last, until they found themselves at a junction. The medical student skidded to a stop, unsure of which way to go. The Doctor rushed past, his fiancée grabbing her friend's hand.

"Come on! Move, move, move, move, move!" he shouted.

The next turn found them running into Tallulah, who shrieked.

"And you, Tallulah! Run!" the Doctor cried out.

"What's happened to Lazlo?"

"No time now, Tallulah, we have to go!" Rose exclaimed.

The pig slaves and two of the Daleks were following. The Doctor led everyone to a ladder. "C'mon! Everyone up!"

After entirely too much running for some people, the party of prisoners returned to Hooverville. They gathered around a fire, Martha and Tallulah sitting on crates, Rose hugging the Doctor as fiercely as he held her. Solomon paced slightly as he tried to get the information straight.

"These Daleks, they sound like the stuff of nightmares. And they wanna breed?"

"They're splicing themselves into human bodies," the Doctor corrected. "If I'm right, they've got a farm of breeding stock right here in Hooverville. We've got to get everyone out."

The man shook his head. "Hooverville's the lowest place a man can fall. There's nowhere else to go."

"I'm sorry, Solomon," Rose said softly. "You've got to scatter. Go anywhere. Down to the railroads, travel across state, just get out of New York."

"There's got to be a way to reason with these things," Solomon argued, unwilling to tell these people that their last resort was no longer an option.

"There's not a chance," Martha shook her head.

Frank shivered. "You ain't seen 'em, boss."

The Doctor stared into the fire, angry and frightened. "Daleks are bad enough at anytime, but right now they're vulnerable and that makes them more dangerous than ever."

Rose hugged him again as a whistle blew.

"They're coming! They're coming!" the sentry shouted, running to warn everyone.

"A sentry. Must have seen something," Solomon said.

"They're here! I seen 'em! Monsters! They're monsters!"

The Doctor simply intoned, "It's started."

Solomon shouted, "We're under attack! Everyone to arms!"

The men started passing out the guns and other weapons they had collected.

Frank glanced between Solomon and the Doctor. "I'm ready, boss, but all o' you! Find a weapon! Use anything!"

The residents he addressed ran off in terror.

"Come back!" Solomon shouted. "We gotta stick together! It's not safe out there! Come back!"

The pig slaves then invaded Hooverville, attacking those who tried to escape.

"We need to get out of the park," Martha realized desperately.

The Doctor shook his head. "We can't! They're on all sides. They're driving people back towards us."

"We're trapped," Tallulah cried.

"Then we stand together. Gather 'round. Everybody come to me. You there, Jethro, Harry, Seamus, stay together," their leader shouted.

It didn't take long before the pig slaves had forced everyone into a tight circle by the fire.

"They can't take all of us," the village head said confidently as he started firing.

Martha glanced at the Doctor. "If we can just hold them off till daylight…"

"Oh, Martha, they're just the foot soldiers," he answered her, looking skyward.

Everyone turned and looks up.

"Oh, my God," the black woman said in quiet terror as a Dalek flew above, heading towards them.

The people of Hooverville quaked with terror.

Solomon gaped. "What in this world—"

"It's the devil. A devil in the sky. God save us all. It's damnation," sobbed the man who had been sentry.

Frank frowned, "Oh yeah? We'll see about that!" He fired at the Dalek but the bullets did no damage.

The Doctor pushed his rifle down. "That's not gonna work."

Rose pointed. "There's more than one of them, love."

The Daleks began to attack, firing upon the settlement causing explosions and starting fires

"The humans will surrender!"

The Doctor stepped forward, waving his arms. "Leave them alone! They've done nothing to you!"

"We have located the Doctor!" a Dalek screamed.

Solomon stepped ahead of the Doctor and he grabbed the human by the arm.

"No, Solomon. Stay back."

Shaking his head, the man spoke, "I'm told that I'm addressin' the Daleks, is that right? From what I hear, you're outcasts, too."

"Solomon, don't," the Doctor begged.

"Doctor, this is my township, you will respect my authority. Just let me try," the man said, full of stubborn courage as he pushed the Doctor firmly back. "Daleks…ain't we all the same? Underneath, ain't we all kin? 'Cause, see, I've just discovered this past day God's universe is a thousand times the size I thought it was. And that scares me. Oh, yeah. Terrifies me. Right down to the bone. But it's got to give me hope…hope that maybe together we can make a better tomorrow. So I…I beg you now if you have any compassion in your hearts then you'll meet with us and stop this fight. Well…what do you say?"

"Exterminate!" the Dalek screamed before firing upon Solomon, killing him.

The inhabitants of Hooverville screamed in horror.

Frank rushed to Solomon's side. "No! Solomon!"

"They killed him. They just shot him on the spot," Martha gaped, failing to fully comprehend the cruelty of this race.

"Daleks!" the Doctor shouted, moving forward, arms out to his side, to confront the Daleks. "All right, so it's my turn! Then kill me! Kill me if it'll stop you attacking these people!"

One of them turn its weapon on him. "I will be the destroyer of our greatest enemy."

"Doctor! No!" Rose screamed in anguish.

Forcing himself not to turn and run back to her, he shouted, beating at his chest, "Then do it! Do it! Just do it! Do it!"

"Extermin—" the creature stopped. "I do not understand. It is the Doctor… The urge to kill is too strong… I…obey."

"What's going on?" the Doctor asked the Dalek.

"You will follow."

Rose struggled against Martha, who held her. "No! You can't go! Theta!"

He looked at her, tortured. "I've got to go. The Daleks just changed their minds. Daleks never change their minds. Rose… you know that."

"But what about us?" Martha asked as Rose sagged.

The Doctor looked back at the people of Hooverville before facing the Dalek. "One condition! If I come with you, you spare the lives of everyone here! Do you hear me?"

"The humans will be spared. Doctor…follow."

"I'm coming with you."

He looked at Rose, absolute heartbreak in his eyes. "No, I need you to stay here, to protect people, to help them. Please. Just this once, don't follow me, my darling girl."

She gave a sob. "I love you."

He turned back taking both of her hands. "I love you, Rose Tyler… and, I trust you."

The Doctor gripped her hands with his and winked. As he walked away with the Daleks, Rose looked down and saw he had given her the psychic paper

"What do we do with that?" Martha asked, staring at Rose, who seemed to compose herself incredibly fast.

"Save my fiancee, New York, and the world," the blonde woman replied with a shrug.

Tallulah had moved to their side. "Oh right, is that all?"

Rose grinned. "Oh I've seen worse."

The Doctor arrived in the Dalek lab and immediately started in on Dalek Sec. "Those people were defenceless! You only wanted me, but no, that wasn't enough for you! You had to start killing 'cause that's the only thing a Dalek's good for!"

The human Dalek nodded. "The deaths…were wrong."

The Time Lord gaped in shock. "I'm sorry?"

"That man, their leader Solomon, he showed courage," Dalek Sec said.

"And that's… good?" the Doctor clarified.

"That's excellent."

The Doctor tipped his head. "Is it me or are you just becoming a little bit more human?"

You are the last of your kind and now I am the first of mine," Dalek Sec replied cryptically.

"What do you want me for?"

"We tried everything to survive when we found ourselves stranded in this ignorant age. First we tried growing new Dalek embryos but their flesh was too weak," the Dalek leader explained.

"Yeah, I found one of your experiments. Just left to die out there in the dark," the Doctor said, shaking his head in disgust.

"It forced us to conclude what is the greatest resource of this planet—its people."

Dalek Sec lifted a giant switch on the wall and the ceiling above them lit up to show hundreds of human bodies lying suspended. Dalek Sec lifted another switch and one of the bodies was lowered, shrouded. He continued talking with enthusiasm. "We stole them. We stole human beings for our purpose. Look…inside."

The Doctor opened the shroud to reveal a man who couldn't be more than thirty. He recoils just a bit.

"This…is the extent of the Final Experiment."

The Doctor looked closer. "Is he dead?"

The Dalek shook his head. "Near death with his mind wiped ready to be filled with new ideas."

"Dalek ideas," the Doctor said distastefully.

"The Human-Dalek race." It was spoken with pride, as though this was something to be pleased about.

"All of these people. How many?" the Doctor asked, suppressing the urge to scream.

"We have caverns beyond this storing more than a thousand."

All those lives… lost. And they wouldn't stop there. They'd continue until every member of the human race had become Dalek. He thought of brave Frank, and Martha who wanted to be a doctor and save lives. He thought of Rose, and how he would do anything to prevent this from being her future. "Is there any way to restore them? Make them human again?"

"Everything they were has been lost."

He shook his head sadly. "So they're like shells. You've got empty human beings ready to be converted. That's going to take a hell of a lot of power. This planet hasn't even split the atom yet. How're you gonna do it?"

The Dalek leader began what looked like a smile. "Open the conductor plan."

Inside Solomon's tent Rose and Tallulah were searching through papers, while Martha paced, tapping the psychic paper in her hand.

"Wait a minute. Down in the sewers the Daleks mentioned this…energy conductor," she said, eyes wide.

"Right, they need power, and lots of power," Rose agreed, looking up.

"So what does that mean?" Tallulah asked.

Martha shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe like a…lightening conductor or…Dalekanium!"

Rose stood. "Right. They said the Dalekanium was in place."

The chorus girl shook her head. She wasn't as dumb as most people thought, and being around these two strong, independent women was giving her the confidence to speak her mind. "In place where?"

"Frank might know," Martha said.

"We need to talk to Frank then," Rose decided, heading for the exit.

The women moved through the camp determinedly, finding Frank mourning beside Solomon's body. Rose looked to Martha, as the black woman had a friendship and closeness that the other two just didn't have.

Martha nodded, moving to his side and kneeling. "Frank?"

He looked up, listless. "Hm?"

She placed a hand on his arm. "I'm so sorry, Frank, but we can't give up just yet. We need information. That Mr. Diagoras, he was like some sort of fixer, yeah? Get you jobs all over town?"

The man nodded. "Yeah. He could find a profit anywhere."

"But where, though? What sort of things?"

He shrugged. "You name it. We're all so desperate for work, you just hoped Diagoras would pick you for something good. Building work. That pays the best."

Rose nodded. That made sense, they wouldn't have to know what they were building, so long as they could follow plans.

"But what sort of building work?" Martha pressed him.

"Mainly building that." Frank pointed to the Empire State Building, and the women looked at each other.

Dalek Sec was showing the Doctor an animated graphic of their plan, but he was shaking his head impatiently. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. The Empire State Building. We're right underneath that. I worked that out already, thanks. But what, you hijacked the whole building?"

"We needed an energy conductor," the Dalek told him again.

"But what for?"

The hybrid gestured to himself. "I…am the genetic template. My altered DNA was to be administered to each human body. A strong enough blast of gamma radiation can splice the Dalek and human genetic codes and wake each body from its sleep."

The Doctor frowned. "Gamma radiation? What are- Oh, the sun. You're using the sun."

Dalek Sec nodded. "Soon…the greatest solar flare for a thousand years will hit the Earth. Gamma radiation will be drawn to the energy conductor and when it strikes—"

"The army wakes," the Doctor finished. "I still don't know what you need me for."

"Your genius. Consider a pure Dalek; intelligent but emotionless."

The Doctor sneered. "Removing the emotions makes you stronger. That's what your creator thought all those years ago."

"He was wrong."

Now that was a shock. "He was what?"

The hybrid gestured between them. "It makes us lesser than our enemies. We must return to the flesh. And also…the heart."

He missed the agitation of his fellow Dalek over this statement, but the Doctor didn't. He wondered if the other Dalek would allow Dalek Sec to continue.

"You wouldn't be the supreme beings anymore," he tested.

Dalek Sec nodded. "And that is good."

"That is incorrect," one of the others said.

Another chimed in, "Daleks are supreme."

"No, not anymore," the Dalek leader corrected them.

"But that is our purpose."

The hybrid slammed his hands on the table, snapping at his followers. "Then our purpose is wrong! Where has our quest for supremacy led us? To this. Hiding in the sewers on a primitive world. Just four of us left. If we do not change now then we deserve extinction."

Intrigued, the Doctor tipped his head at the hybrid Dalek. "So you want to change everything that makes a Dalek a Dalek."

"If…you can help me."

Not far from the Doctor, his fiancée, Martha, Tallulah and Frank were in a service lift of the Empire State Building, heading up to the construction area.

"I always wanted to go to the Empire State. Never imagined it quite like this, though," Martha cracked to Rose.

The woman grinned back at her, her abnormal love of adventure cheering her. "Well, we don't exactly get to snap pictures and pick up postcards, but I suppose saving the world will have to make up for it."

"Where are we headed anyway?" Frank asked them, shaking his head at their jokes.

"To the top where they're still building," Rose answered, glancing up at the ceiling.

Tallulah was still shocked at their easy access to the building. "How come those guys just let us through? How's that thing work?"

Martha explained. "Psychic paper. Shows them whatever we want them to think. According to this, we're two engineers, an architect, and a safety inspector."

Frank took the psychic paper and flipped the empty paper over in his hands. "Amazing."

Oblivious to their intruders above, the Daleks continued their work below.

"Your knowledge of genetic engineering is even greater than ours. The new race must be ready by the time the solar flare erupts," Dalek Sec said to the Doctor.

"But you're the template," the Time Lord argued. "I thought they were getting a dose of you."

The Dalek leader surprised him yet again. "I want to change the gene sequence."

"To make them even more human?"

He nodded. "Humans are the great survivors. We need that ability."

"Hold on a minute. There's no way this lot are gonna let you do it," the Doctor said, gesturing to the other Daleks.

"I am their leader," Dalek said as though that explained everything.

Oh, and that's enough for you, is it?" he asked the rest.

"Daleks must follow orders," on intoned.

Another added, "Dalek Sec commands, we obey."

Dalek Sec faced the Doctor, palms up. "If you don't help me…nothing will change."

He had to check one more thing. "There's no room on Earth for another race of people."

"You have your TARDIS. Take us across the stars. Find us a new home and allow the new Daleks to start again," the Dalek leader begged.

"When's that solar flare?" he couldn't believe he was going to do this.

"Eleven minutes."

Nodding, he moved to the panel. "Right then. Better get to work."

Frank and the three women entered the top floor, the same room that Diagoras had been using as an office.

Tallulah whistled as she looked out the windows. "Look at this place. Top of the world."

Martha spotted the architectural plans on the desk and moved over to check them. "Rose, now this looks good."

Rose and Frank joined her, checking the plans.

Frank pointed something out. "Hey, look at the date. These designs were issued today. They must've changed something last minute."

"So the Daleks changed something?" Rose mused. "What was it?"

Frank moved the plans. "The ones underneath, they're from before. That means that whatever they changed must be on this top sheet but not this one. We need to check one against the other."

The chorus girl was still mesmerized by the New York skyline. "The height of this place! This is amazing!"

"Careful, we're a hundred floors up. Don't go wandering off," Martha warned.

"I just wanna see," she reassured her, walking to the open area overlooking the city. "New York City. If aliens had to come to Earth, no wonder they came here."

In the lab, the Doctor checked the equipment and readouts, "There's no point in chromosomal grafting. It's too erratic. You need to split the genome and force the Dalek-human sequence right into the cortex."

"We need more chromatin solution," Dalek Sec said to the others.

"The pig slaves have it," one of the Daleks answered.

Within moments, the pig slaves walked into the room carrying a large crate. Lazlo was one of them.

"These pig slaves, what happens to them in the grand plan?" the Doctor asked, meeting Lazlo's eyes briefly.

Dalek Sec shrugged a bit carelessly. "Nothing. They're just simple beasts. Their lifespan is limited. None survive beyond a few weeks. Power up the engine feeds."

The Doctor moved to the man who had helped him rescue Rose. "Lazlo, I can't undo what they've done to you, but they won't do it to anyone else."

"Do you trust him?" Lazlo asked, seeming resigned to his fate.

The Doctor hesitated, not quite sure himself. "I know that one man can change the course of history. Right idea in the right place at the right time is all it takes. I've got to believe it's possible."

Martha and Frank had spread the plans out on the floor and were kneeling, studying them. Rose and Tallulah were standing nearby, neither one knowing how to read blueprints.

Frank stood, looking toward the lift. "I'll go and keep an eye out, make sure we're safe up here. Don't want nobody buttin' in." He walked out the door they'd come in.

Tallulah glanced at the window. "There's a hell of a storm movin' in."

Martha sighed. "I wish the Doctor was here. He'd know what we're looking for."

"So do I," Rose murmured, looking at the papers.

"SO tell me, where did you and this pair first hook up?" Tallulah asked Martha.

"It was in a hospital, sort of."

"'Course, him bein' a doctor," Tallulah nodded, kneeling beside Martha.

"Actually, I was the doctor. Well, kind of," the black woman corrected. "Rose was a patient."

"You're a physician?" the chorus girl gaped while Martha nodded. "I was training. Still am, if I ever get back home."

Rose smiled at her friend, nudging her shoulder. "You're a great doctor, my friend. And I promise you'll get back home."

"You could be doctors together!" Tallulah gasped. "What a partnership! Oh, it's such a shame. If only he wasn't so attached to Rose here. You know what I mean?"

"Hey!" Rose laughed. "Don't I get a say in this?"

Martha shook her head. "Believe me, Tallulah, you haven't got to see them together much, but what the Doctor and Rose have… it's just… out of this world, no pun intended. There's just nothing that compares to the way they're just drawn to each other, the look in their eyes when they're just focused on each other. I would hate to see how he'd be if he lost Rose."

"Or if I lost him," the woman in question said sadly, lowering her head. She wanted so badly to know how he was and what was happening.

The other blonde woman put an arm around her new friend. "Aw, listen sweetheart. You wanna get all sad? You wanna have a contest with me and Lazlo?"

"But listen, if the Doctor's with Lazlo now, there's every chance that he could get him out," Martha said hopefully.

"And then what? Don't talk crazy. There's no future for me and him. Those Dalek things took that away. The one good thing I had in my life and they destroyed it," Tallulah sniffed, standing and walking back to the open area.

"The line feeds are ready," a Dalek announced in the lab.

The Doctor rushed to a bunch of tubes and extracted the solution inside with a syringe. "Then it's all systems go."

Dalek Sec studied a screen. "The solar flare is imminent. The radiation…will reach Earth in a matter of minutes."

"We'll be ready for it," The Doctor assured him, inserting the syringe into one of the main feeding tubes and injecting the solution. "That compound will allow the gene bonds to reconfigure in a brand new pattern. Power up!"

One of the pig slaves turned on a power switch as did Lazlo.

The Dalek leader instructed. "Start…the line feeds."

One of the Daleks started the machinery and they could see the solution start moving through the tubes.

"There goes the gene solution," the Doctor said with a small amount of satisfaction.

"The life blood," Dalek Sec nodded as the solution started coursing up to the bodies.

"Gotcha! Look!" Martha exclaimed, slapping the paper.

Tallulah rejoined them looking at the plans.

"I don't see it," Rose admitted.

Martha pointed it out. "There, on the mast. Those little lines? They're new. They've added something, see?"

"Added what?" Tallulah asked.

Rose studied the plans. "It looks like… a Dalek…"

All the women exclaimed it at the same time. "Dalekanium!"

A klaxon sounded and red warning lights flashed in the lab.

"What's that?" the Doctor asked, alarmed, studying the readouts.

"What's happening? Is there a malfunction? Answer me!" Dalek Sec shouted.

"No, no, no. The gene feed! They're overriding the gene feed!" he shouted as he rushed to the controls in an attempt to fix the feed.

The Dalek leader gasped. "Impossible. They cannot disobey orders!"

Another Dalek trained his weapon on the Time Lord. "The Doctor will step away from the controls."

The Doctor backed away, hands up.

"Stop! You will not fire," Dalek Sec ordered.

"He is an enemy of the Daleks," the other Dalek informed his leader.

Another pointed its weapon at their leader. "And so are you."

The hybrid said desperately, "I am your commander. I am Dalek Sec."

"You have lost your authority."

"You are no longer a Dalek."

They had been so close! The Doctor swore mentally. "What have you done with the gene feed?"

"The new bodies will be 100% Dalek."

Dalek Sec begged them. "No. You can't do this!"

"Pig slaves, restrain Dalek Sec and the Doctor."

Two pig slaves grabbed Dalek Sec and two more moved to take the Doctor, one of whom was Lazlo.

"Release me. I created you. I am your master," Dalek Sec cried to the pig slaves.

"Solar flare approaching."

"Prepare to intercept."

The Daleks turned towards the machinery, ignoring their prisoners. The lift bell pinged behind them.

"There's the lift," Lazlo said softly.

With a wry grin, the Doctor nodded. "After you."

With a sudden wrench, they pushed their way clear and headed for the lift.

One of the Daleks screamed out. "The Doctor is escaping! Stop him! Stop him!"

The pig slaves followed but the lift doors were already closing. Inside the lift, Lazlo leaned against the side, panting heavily.

"We've only got minutes before the gamma radiation reaches the Earth. We need to get to the top of the building," the Doctor glanced over. "Lazlo, what's wrong?"

"Out of breath. It's nothing. We've escaped them, Doctor. That's all that matters," the brave young man insisted.

The lift doors opened at the top floor and three women turned to see the Doctor and Lazlo.

"Doctor!" Rose cried happily.

"First floor, perfumery," the Doctor grinned, crossing the room quickly to scoop Rose in his arms as she ran to him.

"I never thought I'd see you again!" Tallulah rushed over to Lazlo and he met her halfway where they hugged.

"No stopping me," Lazlo promised.

"I hate to interrupt," Martha said, leading the Doctor over to the plans. "We worked it out. We know what they've done. There's Dalekanium on the mast. And it's good to see you too, by thy way."

"Oh, come here," he grabbed Martha in a big hug and twirled her about. However, he dropped her abruptly as the bell dinged and the lift doors closed. He ran to try and stop it. "No, no, no. Can't even hug a person around Daleks."

He tried to use the sonic screwdriver on the panel. "It's a deadlock seal. I can't stop it."

Rose frowned. "Who's at the bottom, Doctor?"

He looked back at her, "The Daleks. And they're not going to leave us alone up here. What's the time?"

Frank reentered, pleased to see him. "11:15."

"Six minutes to go. I've got to remove the Dalekanium before the gamma radiation hits," the Doctor said grimly.

"Gammon radiation? What the heck is that?" Tallulah asked.

Rose led the Doctor outside, Frank, Martha, Tallulah and Lazlo following. The Doctor looked out on the city.

"Oh, that's high. That's very- Blimey, that's high."

"And we've got to go even higher, love," Rose told him. "That's the mast up there, look. There's three pieces of Dalekanium at the base. We've got to get 'em off."

He shook his head. "That's not 'we'. That's just me."

His fiancée scowled fiercely. "You expect me to just stand here and watch you?"

He kissed her quickly, his hearts swelling with love at her determination to stay at his side. "No, you're gonna have your hands full, anyway. I'm sorry, my love, but you've got to fight."

She watched as the Doctor climbed up the scaffolding, hanging on as high winds and rain blow around him. He reached the base of the mast, took out his sonic screwdriver and used it on the bolts holding the Dalekanium in place

The others go back in, picking up makeshift weapons and facing the lift.

"The lift's coming up," Martha announced.

Frank moved to stand next to her. "I shoulda brought that gun."

"Tallulah, stay back. You too, Martha and Rose. IF they send pig slaves, they're trained to kill."

"The Doctor needs me to fight. I'm not going anywhere!" Rose snarled.

Lazlo shook his head. "They're savages. I should know. They're trained to slit your throat with their bare teeth."

"Lazlo, I've faced a lot worse than pig men," Rose promised him. "I haven't run yet, and I'm not about to start now."

Nodding, suddenly dizzy, Lazlo collapsed to the floor. Tallulah immediately was at his side. "Lazlo? What is it?"

He struggled to stand. "No, it's nothing. I'm fine. Just leave me."

Lazlo fell back to the floor and leaned against the wall. Tallulah knelt beside him and put her hand to his forehead.

"Oh, honey, you're burnin' up. What's wrong with you? Tell me."

Frank looked to Martha grimly. "One man down and we ain't even started yet."

"It's not looking good, Frank," Martha nodded.

"Nope."

Hearing the storm through the open end of the room seemed to jar Rose and she spun.

"Wait a minutes. Lightening!" she exclaimed, running to the other end of the room.

The Doctor struggled with the Dalekanium. He pulled off one panel and moved to the second, hoping Rose was still safe.

Martha and Frank caught on almost immediately and were helping Rose arrange long metal rods from the outside across the room to the lift, making sure they don't touch the floor. Tallulah was with Lazlo.

"Aw, you'll be all right, sweetheart. Don't you worry," she promised him before looking at the others. "What the hell are you clowns doin'?"

Rose explained while she worked. "Even if the Doctor stops the Dalekanium, this place is still gonna get hit. Great big bolt of lightning, electricity all down this building. Connect this to the lift and they get zapped."

"Oh my God, that could work," the girl gasped.

"Then give us a hand," Martha told her.

The Doctor was still working on the second panel when the sonic screwdriver slipped from his fingers and over the edge. The Doctor leaned over and saw that it was gone.

The metal rods now reached the lift, and Rose and Martha were looking at it worriedly.

"Is that gonna work?" Tallulah asked nervously.

"It's got to," Martha insisted.

"I've got it all piped up to the scaffolding outside," Frank said, confident in the idea.

Rose looked at the four of them. "Come here, Frank and sit in the middle and don't touch anything metal. Tallulah, help Lazlo over. I'll protect us from stray voltage."

Martha touched her arm. "Rose, can you do that?"

The woman who had become her closest friend looked at her, determined. "I'll do what I must."

Martha nodded, her heart racing a bit as the increasingly familiar gold swirled in Rose's hazel eyes.

Above, the Doctor tried to pull off the panel with his bare hands, grunting with effort. Knowing there was no way he could get the panels off in time, he stood and looked up to the sky

Martha, Frank, Tallulah and Lazlo huddled in the corner of the room. Rose standing in front of them. Frank leaned close to Martha's ear.

"How's she gonna protect us from stray lightnin', Martha?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you, Frank."

The Doctor climbed the mast and wrapped his arms about it, clinging tight, whispering an apology to Rose in case this caused him to regenerate.

The lift arrived and the doors slid open just as a bolt of lightning struck the mast coursing down it and through the Doctor who screamed into the storm.

The lightning passes along the pipes to the lift, striking the pig slaves, Rose suddenly burst into gold, holding her arms out as the electricity crackled around the room, arching close but held back from the group in the corner.

The pig slaves began to fall as energy charges down the whole of the Empire State Building and into the lab. Once it subsided, Martha, Frank, Tallulah and Lazlo opened their eyes and saw the dead pig slaves in the lift, Rose on her hands and knees in the floor, gasping for breath. Martha moved to check her over, worried. Frank put his arm over her shoulders and helped her sit up.

"How did you do that, Rose?" Tallulah asked, a bit afraid of the woman.

Martha looked into the lift. "They used to be like Lazlo. They were people and I killed 'em."

"No," Lazlo told her. "The Daleks killed them. Long ago."

"What about the Doctor?" Tallulah asked, her eyes darting to the scaffolding.

As though she'd done nothing extraordinary herself, Rose was on her feet in a moment, rushing outside and climbing. By the mast, the Doctor was lying on his back unconscious when Rose, Martha and Frank found him. Martha gasped, the man holding her as Rose rushed to his side.

"Doctor! Doctor!" she gasped out, kneeling next to him, and placing her hands on his chest."Theta, you'd better open your damn eyes."

He groaned, but it was a beautiful sound to her. "Oh my head."

Rose placed a hand on his cheek, beaming at him in relief. "Hiya."

He reached up and covered her hand. "Hi yourself. You all survived then."

"So did you. But look what we found halfway down," she teased, pulling out the sonic screwdriver. "You aren't getting careless, are you?"

He smirked at her, sitting up slowly. "Are you kidding? I promised this woman a wedding and she's not the kind to disappoint."

She kissed him gently, then looked over at the mast. "Doctor, I can't help noticing….there's Dalekanium still attached."

"Yeah, that…" the Doctor said, getting up. "Well, you won't like what I did, instead."

Back inside, the Doctor hugged Rose tightly as he explained to them what he'd learned. "The Daleks will have gone straight to a war footing. They'll be using the sewers, spreading their soldiers out underneath Manhattan."

"How do we stop them?" Lazlo asked.

"There's only one chance. I got in the way. That gamma strike went zapping though me first."

Rose pushed away from him. "That's what you said I wasn't going to like? You put yourself in the path of that bolt of lightning?!"

He looked at her seriously. "It was the only option."

"It could have killed you!"

"The Daleks will certainly kill everyone else."

The two of them stared at each other, connected on a level that almost embarrassed the other people in the room to witness. Finally Rose sighed. He pulled her close again and kissed her forehead.

Sensing it was safe to talk, Martha asked, "But what does that mean for us?"

"We need to draw fire. Before they can attack New York, I need to face them. Think, think, think, think. We need some sort of space, somewhere safe, somewhere out of the way. Tallulah!"

She brightened at the chance to help. "That's me. Three Ls and an H."

"The theatre! It's right above them, and, what, it's gone midnight? Can you get us inside?" the Doctor asked.

She shrugged. "Don't see why not."

"Is there another lift?" he asked, glancing at the dead pig men.

"We came up in the service elevator," Rose told him, pulling away and taking his hand, certain they were moving.

"That'll do. Allons-y!"

After a bit of running, the small band of warriors arrived at the darkened theatre.

The Doctor looked around with a satisfied smile. "This should do it. Here we go." The Doctor switched on the sonic screwdriver.

"There ain't nothin' more creepy than a theatre in the dark," Tallulah insisted. "Listen, Doctor, I know everyone loves a good show, but there's a time and place, huh?"

Lazlo fell into one of the chairs beside them.

"Lazlo, what's wrong?" the chorus girls asked, sitting next to him.

"Nothing. It's just so hot," he gasped.

She was confused. "But…it's freezing in here. Doctor, what's happening to him?"

The Doctor was listening to the sonic screwdriver, checking its frequency, "Not now, Tallulah. I'm sorry."

"What are you doing?" Martha asked curiously.

Rose watched him, knowing exactly what he planned. "If the Daleks are going to war, they'll wanna find their number one enemy. He's just telling them where he is."

The Doctor held up the sonic screwdriver and turned it on, shooting her a grin as the rest of them looked at the pair as though they were insane.

He looked back at them. "I'm telling you now to go. Frank can take you all back to Hooverville."

Martha shook her head. "I'm not Rose, I know, but I'm telling you I'm not going."

"Martha, that's an order."

She frowned at him, "Who are you, then? Some sort of Dalek?"

The doors to the theatre burst open and the human Daleks arrived, flanking them.

"Oh, my God! Well I guess that's them then, huh?" Tallulah gasped.

Rose murmured, "Humans…with Dalek DNA."

Frank moved to attack them but the Doctor pulled him back. "It's all right. Just stay calm. Don't antagonize them."

Lazlo groaned as he sat up, looking around. "But what about the Dalek masters? Where are they?"

There was an explosion on stage and the Doctor and the others ducked behind the seats for cover. The Doctor and Rose peered over the seats, and, as the smoke cleared, saw two Daleks with Dalek Sec chained and walking on all fours. The Doctor stood slowly motioning for Rose and the others to stay down.

"The Doctor will stand before the Daleks. The Abomination will stand with him."

The Doctor stepped over a chair and walked forward on the backs of the rows until he reached the front row. "There's no need to drag her into it."

"She is guilty of murdering Daleks, and is connected to the Doctor. She will join you!"

Rose stood, frowning. "Calm yourself, yeah? I'm right here."

She moved to his side, taking his hand. The Doctor sighed, hating that she was almost as big a target for the Daleks as he was.

"You will die, Doctor. And this creature will die with you. It is the beginning of a new age," one of the Daleks announced.

"Planet Earth will become New Skaro," the other intoned.

"Oh, and what a world," the Doctor sneered. "With anything just the slightest bit different ground into the dirt. That's Dalek Sec. Don't you remember? The cleverest Dalek ever and look what you've done to him. Is that your new empire? Hmm? Is that the foundation for a whole new civilization?"

"My Daleks…just understand this. If you choose death and destruction, then death and destruction will choose you," Dalek Sec tried to reason with them.

"Incorrect. We will always survive."

"Now we will destroy our greatest enemy, the Doctor, and the Abomination that is so important to him."

"Why do you keep calling me the Abomination?" Rose snapped. "It's rather insulting, you know?"

"You are human, and not," the first Dalek replied. "You are outside of time, and your emotions are dangerous. You are an Abomination to the superior Dalek, and are classified dangerous."

The Doctor smirked at her, "Just another reason I love you."

"The Doctor will die now!"

Dalek Sec cried out, "But he can help you."

"The Doctor must die."

"No, I beg you, don't," Dalek Sec begged, crawling in front of the Dalek aiming at the Doctor.

"Exterminate!"

Dalek Sec stood just as the Dalek fired. He died instantly, falling to the stage.

The Doctor curled his lip in disgust. "Your own leader. The only creature who might have led you out of the darkness and you destroyed him." He turned to the human Daleks. "Do you see what they did? Huh? You see what a Dalek really is?"

The Doctor looked at Rose, silently asking her to trust him. She smiled at him, and squeezed his hand confidently.

He looked at the Daleks. "If we're gonna die, let's give the new boys a shot. What do you think, eh Rose? The Dalek-Humans. Their first blood. Reckon we ought to baptize them?"

She nodded, shooting a challenging look at the two Daleks in front of them. "Definitely. I'd say it's the perfect test."

The Doctor held his arm out to his side, still grasping Rose's hand. He was banking his life, and something much more important, Rose, on his theory.

"Dalek-Humans, take aim."

The Dalek-Humans cocked their weapons and aim them at the Doctor and his fiancée.

"What are you waiting for? Give the command!" the Doctor taunted.

"Exterminate!"

Both the Doctor and Rose closed their eyes and Martha ducked her head against Frank's chest. But nothing happened.

A Dalek screamed, "Exterminate!"

Still nothing happened, prompting everyone to open their eyes.

"Obey. Dalek-Humans will obey."

Martha gasped. "Not firing. What have you done?"

"You will obey. Exterminate!"

One of the hybrids turned. "Why?"

The Doctor looked at the former foreman.

"Daleks do not question orders," the Daleks snapped.

"But why?"

Rose grinned up at the Doctor.

"You will stop this," the Dalek insisted furiously.

"But…why?"

"You must not question!"

The hybrid shook his head. "But you are not our master. And we…we are not Daleks."

"No, you're not, and you never will be," the Doctor grinned at the Daleks. "Sorry, I got in the way of the lightening strike. Time Lord DNA got all mixed up. Just that little bit of freedom."

"If they will not obey, then they must die," the Daleks insisted coldly, shooting the man.

"Get down!" Rose shouted, yanking the Doctor down out of the line of fire as both factions fire on each other.

"Exterminate! Exterminate!"

Both the Daleks on the stage were destroyed and the human Daleks stopped firing. Everyone stands, and the Doctor and Rose moved over to one of the hybrids.

"It's all right. It's all right. It's all right. You did it. You're free," the Doctor said with a smile.

Suddenly, all the hybrids gripped their heads and screamed in pain.

"No!" he cried out as the human Daleks crumbled to the ground. "They can't! They can't! They can't!"

Rose wrapped her arms around him as they knelt next to a body.

Martha walked over to them. "What happened? What was that?"

The Doctor barely held back a sob. "They killed 'em. Rather than let them live. An entire species. Genocide."

"Only two of the Daleks have been destroyed. One of the Dalek masters must still be alive," Lazlo pointed out.

The Doctor stood. "Oh, yes. In the whole universe, just one."

He left, heading for the lab.

When he entered the last Dalek was still attached to the computer.

"Now what?" the Time Lord asked bleakly.

"You will be exterminated."

The Doctor waved dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Just think about it, Dalek- What was your name?"

"Dalek Caan."

He walked torward the Dalek. "Dalek Caan. Your entire species has been wiped out. And now the Cult of Skaro has been eradicated. Leaving only you. Right now you're facing the only man in the universe who might show you some compassion. 'Cause I've just seen one genocide. I won't cause another. Caan…let me help you. What do you say?"

Rose watched from the doorway.

"Emergency Temporal Shift!"

Dalek Caan disappeared leaving the wires hanging and a very angry Doctor who charged too late. Rose was halfway across the room when Martha and Tallulah entered, helping to support Lazlo.

"Doctor! Doctor! He's sick," Martha cried out.

Lazlo was breathing heavily, wheezing. They lowered him to the floor, Tallulah cradling him on her lap.

"It's okay, baby. You're all right," she crooned.

The Doctor approached them and knelt. He felt his hearts breaking for them. Seeing them, he knew that he would be dying if that were Rose in his arms.

Martha began describing symptoms. "It's his heart. It's racing like mad. I've never seen anything like it."

The chorus girl looked up in terror. "What is it, Doctor? What's the matter with him? He says he can't breathe? What is it?"

Lazlo gasped out, "It's time, sweetheart."

"What do you mean 'time'? What are you talking about?"

He groaned, trying to make her understand. "None of the slaves …survive for long. Most of them only live a few weeks. I was lucky. I held on 'cause I had you. But now…I'm dyin', Tallulah."

"No you're not. Not now, after all this. Doctor, can't you do somethin'?"

He looked up at Rose, who looked pointedly around the lab. With a brilliant grin, he said, "Oh, Tallulah with three Ls and an H…just you watch me."

The Doctor stood and took off his coat, tossing it aside like he did in his TARDIS. Rose caught it deftly and grinned.

"What do I need? Oh, I don't know. How about a great big genetic laboratory? Oh look, I've got one. Lazlo, just you hold on."

He ran about the lab, mixing up a solution, talking all the while, "There's been too many deaths today. Way too many people have died. Brand new creatures and wise old men and age-old enemies. And I'm tellin' you, I'm tellin' you right now, I am not having one more death! Got that? Not one! Tallulah, out of the way."

The Doctor took a stethoscope out of his pock and put it on. "The Doctor is in."

The night was long, but the next morning found all of them walking toward Hooverville. Frank went on ahead, but he met them at a bench just a ways from the settlement. The form of Lazlo was bundled in an overcoat and hat, but Tallulah held his arm devotedly.

"Well I talked to 'em and I told 'em what Solomon would've said and I reckon I shamed one or two of 'em," Frank said as he returned.

"What did they say?" Martha asked.

"They said yes," he smiled.

Tallulah hugged Lazlo.

Frank nodded, "They'll give you a home, Lazlo. I mean, uh, don't imagine people ain't gonna stare. I can't promise you'll be at peace but, in the end, that is what Hooverville is for, people who ain't got nowhere else."

"Thank you. I—I can't thank you enough," Lazlo said, his voice thick with emotion.

"Hey, least I can do for a friend, right?" the man replied.

They exchanged hugs and goodbyes. Martha and Tallulah hugged and the chorus girl whispered to her.

"I see what you meant now," she nodded at the Doctor and Rose, who were clinging to each other still. "But still, that someone is just out there waitin' on ya. Don't you go givin' up on him before you even find him."

"Believe me, Tallulah," Martha said with confidence. "When I find the guy that makes me feel like that, I know now to hold tight as I can."

When the three time travelers returned to Liberty Island, they paused to look out at the Manhattan skyline.

"Do you reckon it's gonna work, those two?" Martha couldn't help but ask.

"I don't know," the Doctor admitted. "Anywhere else in the universe, I might worry about them, but New York, that's what this city's good at. Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, and maybe the odd pig-slave-Dalek-mutant-hybrid too."

She laughed. "The pig and the showgirl."

"The pig and the showgirl," he repeated with a smile.

"Just proves it, I suppose. There's someone for everyone," the medical student nodded.

The Doctor pulled Rose into his arms, his smile falling as he thought over all the times and ways he could have lost her already. His hold tightened a bit.

"There is," Rose confirmed. "Even crazy, danger prone non-humans."

He looked down at her, smiling a bit at her cheeky grin. "They could have killed you."

She nodded. "And you could have killed yourself with the lightning gag. I don't ask you to stop being who you are, don't even consider asking me to."

Dropping a kiss on her lips, he turned and entered the TARDIS, the two women following.

"Meant to say…sorry," Martha said.

"What for?"

"Just 'cause that Dalek got away. I know what that means to you. Think you'll ever see it again?"

Rose sighed. "Oh yes. One day."

The Doctor moved to set the controls to take them off.

"They always return, don't they?" he murmured.

_A/N: Please leave lots of reviews, telling me what you think. It really encourages me to continue this project when I hear from the people who read it. I'm going to go work on The Lazarus Experiment now. Love and kisses to all!_


	8. 0306 The Lazarus Experiment

_A/N: Your support really warms my heart. I got such a great response from the last chapter! As promised, a whole new episode for you! This one was exciting to write, and I hope you are happy with the result. I have started with "42", which is one that left me breathless when I watched, so I hope I can do it justice. So, I'll let you enjoy this chapter, and don't forget to leave that oh so important review!_

Season Three: "The Lazarus Experiment"

The city of Hybraxin on Ralpish Foon was known for it's hospitality, and for their deserts. So a certain time traveling trio had decided that was the perfect place to stop before their next desination. But then Martha told Rose that the cake they were eating would be amazing to have at her wedding, and the whole of the party planning district descended en masse to help her decide every detail that moment.

She wouldn't have minded, if she'd have had even a moment to think about the wedding itself since the day she'd said yes. Fighting for your life against forces that want to kill you tends to be a bit distracting in that way.

Martha and the Doctor were no help, as they had decided laughing was the foremost activity of the day, and Rose had to resort to bursting into tears to get the planners to take enough of a step back for her to run for it.

As she ran by the traitors, Rose pointed at the Doctor and shouted, "He's the groom, and he's not picked anyone to stand with him!"

The laughter died on his lips as he scrambled over Martha to flee from the horde that turned on him in that instant.

His longer legs overtook her quickly, and he snatched her hand as they sprinted for the safety of the TARDIS. Once inside, the Doctor grinned at her.

"How do you end up being mobbed and chased while on Ralpish Foon?" he asked. "The populace don't even have weapons!"

She hit him in the arm. "Right! Like it's all my fault! You took me to a wedding planning hell while I'm engaged!"

He pulled her closer. "I like you being engaged, thanks very much," he grinned.

She cuddled to him. "I would much prefer being married," she returned, winking.

Whatever he had been going to say to that was lost as Martha opened the door, still laughing.

"You two looked so silly!"

"Did not!" they both protested, then looked at each other and laughed.

Rose stood on her toes and kissed the Doctor before heading out of the room.

"I'll be right back, don't talk about me!"

The Doctor headed to the console, still smiling as he began to set their next destination.

"So tell me Martha, do you miss your family?" he asked, seemingly out of the blue.

The truth was, he and Rose had been talking about taking Martha to visit her family and letting her decide if she was done traveling. Rose still missed her mother, and didn't want Martha to feel she couldn't go home if she wanted. It wasn't as hard to give Martha the chance to say goodbye as it had been to lose a companion in the past. Perhaps because of a certain blonde nutter who insisted on loving him. And who had moved into his room.

Well… it was more that the TARDIS had made their two rooms into one, whether they liked it or not. She was funny like that…

"I guess I do sometimes," their companion said, after a few minutes of thought. "I mean, I'd like to stop in and say hi, you know?"

He nodded, grinning a bit when Rose returned, eating a danish.

"If I ate like you, I'd be a blimp," Martha poked fun at her friend with a laugh.

Rose just grinned and took a big bite. "I'm mutating still," she joked once she'd chewed and swallowed the bite. "You never know, I might become twins or something." She held up her snack, offering the Doctor a bite, which he took gladly.

The medical student laughed. "Lucky Doctor then."

She laughed even harder at the blush that appeared on both their faces.

Soon enough they were arriving at their destination.

"There we go," the Doctor said. "Perfect landing, which isn't easy in such a tight spot."

Martha shook her head. "You should be used to tight spots by now. Where are we?"

"The end of the line," he said ominously.

The medical student rushed towards the doors, but paused before opening them. Rose was staring at something on the console intently.

"No place like it," the Doctor said softly.

Martha looked at him, questioning if she should open the doors now. He nodded and she hurried outside only to be disappointed in the destination.

"Home. You took me home?"

He followed her slowly, "In fact, the morning after we left, so you've only been gone about 12 hours. No time at all, really."

The Doctor began looking about at her photos.

"But all the stuff we've done—Shakespeare, New New York, old New York?" she asked, not quite believing it.

"Yep, all in one night—relatively speaking. Everything should be just as it was—books, CDs," he reached out and picked up underwear drying on a rack, "laundry."

Martha snagged the offending lingerie from his fingertips, glancing to the TARDIS for Rose.

"So, back where you were, as promised."

"This is it?" she asked, suddenly feeling as though she'd done something wrong.

The Doctor could understand why it was so hard for Rose. This was her first companion. He took a deep breath. "Yeah, I should probably…um…"

Martha's phone rang and the answering machine picked up. The woman ignored it completely as she tried to apologize for whatever she had done. "I'm sorry."

The voice of her mother could be heard. "Martha, are you there? Pick it up, will you?"

"It's Mum. It'll wait," she said, shaking her head miserably.

Rose came to the door of the TARDIS, looking absolutely heartbroken.

Martha's mother continued. "All right then, pretend that you're out if you like. I was only calling to say that your sister's on TV. On the news of all things. Just thought you might be interested."

Curious, Martha picked up the remote control and turned on the TV. A scientist was speaking, "The details are top secret—"

"How could Tish end up on the news?"

On the TV screen was Lazarus-who looked to be in his late 70s—holding a press conference. Martha's younger sister was standing behind him.

"Tonight, I will demonstrate a device…"

Martha kept talking so she didn't have to say goodbye yet. "She's got a new job. PR for some research lab."

"…with the push of a single button, I will change what it means to be human."

Martha switched off the TV. "Sorry. You were saying we should-?"

"Yes, yes, we should. One trip is what we said," the Doctor said awkwardly.

Rose didn't say anything, as she was staring at the TV that was off again.

"Yeah. I suppose things just kind of…escalated."

"Mmm. Seems to happen to me a lot."

Rose looked between them, then back at the TV.

"Thank you. For everything," Martha said sincerely.

"It was our pleasure," he told her just as sincerely, wrapping an arm around Rose and leading her back into the TARDIS. He followed her in leaving Martha standing beside it looking near to tears. She took a deep breath and backed away as the TARDIS dematerialised. When it was gone, she looked almost lost.

A moment later, she heard the TARDIS again and turned to see it rematerialise. The door opened and Rose pushed the Doctor out, following him with her arms crossed.

Glancing at his fiancee, he asked, "No, I'm sorry. Did he say he was going to change what it means to be human?"

It didn't take long for them to decide to attend after that. Rose couldn't believe he'd missed it in the first place. She and Martha had retreated to the wardrobe to find something to wear, and he stood in the doorway with a cup of tea watching them dig through the racks.

"Women take such a very long time to get ready for a function," he noted. "Rose, have we ever been to a formal affair?"

"Not one I was dressed appropriately for," she laughed, making a face at a lime green gown.

"Right, well, that's not my fault. You used to distract me something awful," he said.

Martha snickered.

"Are you saying you're no longer distracted by me?" Rose taunted.

"What?" he spluttered. "I definitely did not say that."

Rose sniffed. "Just for that, you can wait for us out there."

"Oh... now Rose..." he said pleadingly. "Are you really upset with me?"

"No," she grinned, tongue in teeth in a way that set him on edge. "But I do want to surprise you, so out."

Hours later, he had dressed in his tux, and paced the control room, waiting for the two women to emerge. Martha came out first in a wine colored halter dress that was very flattering in shape and color.

"Miss Jones, you are lovely," he praised her with a flourid bow.

"Thank you, Doctor," she grinned. "And you look very nice as well."

"Do I? I hate dressing up."

She laughed. "I'm just grateful for these shoes that Rose gave me. Heels as comfortable as slippers! They refresh your feet with each step!"

He glanced down. "Ah yes, from the 32nd century. Wonderful technology then for footwear."

"Not to mention they're adorable shoes," Rose said, walking into the room. She was wearing a pale pink silk gown, knee length with cap sleeves and a modest square neck line. Her hair was curled into ringlets that were gathered on the back of her head and trailed down, with a few to frame her face.

Pink and yellow. His beautiful Rose. The Doctor moved to her and drew her in for a deep kiss that left her rather breathless. "We really should attend more formal events, if this is how you're going to look," he told her in a husky tone that caused her to blush and her eyes to sparkle.

He might have forgotten the event altogether had Martha not cleared her throat just then. Soon though, the Doctor, Rose, and Martha were walking down the street. The Doctor was fussing with the cuffs of his dress shirt, until Rose batted at his hands.

"Leave them, you look nice."

"Oh, black tie," he groaned. "Whenever I wear this, something bad always happens."

"I'm sure it's not the outfit, that's just you. Anyway, I think it suits you. In a James Bond kind of way," Martha said.

He snorted. "James Bond? Really?"

"Yes, love, you're mysterious and sexy," Rose assured him. "But if any woman lays a hand on you, dress or no, I'll drag her into the street and jump on her head in my adorable shoes, yeah?"

Martha chuckled as they approached the impressive entrance to Lazarus Laboratories.

Inside the main reception room, guests were mingling. Dominating the room was a large white round cabinet surrounded by four pillars with a slight curve at the top. The Doctor took some hors d'oeuvres from a passing tray.

"Oh, look, they've got nibbles! I love nibbles!"

The Doctor tossed one whole into his mouth as Rose laughed at him. Tish joined them, smiling.

"Hello," Martha's sister greeted them.

"Tish!" the medical student grinned, hugging her sister.

The younger woman grinned. "You look great. So, what do you think? Impressive, isn't it?"

"Very," Martha admitted.

And two nights out in a row for you—that's dangerously close to a social life," Tish teased.

Martha laughed. "If I keep this up, I'll end up in all the gossip columns."

Her sister gave her an appraising look, "You might, actually. Keep an eye out for photographers. And Mum—she's coming too, even dragging Leo along with her."

"Leo in black tie? That I must see," the recent traveler grinned.

Tish glanced at the Doctor, missing Rose for the moment.

Martha shifted, "This is, uh, the Doctor, and Rose Tyler."

"Hello," the Doctor greeted her cheerfully, shaking her hand.

Rose smiled.

"Are they with you?"

"Yeah," Martha shrugged.

"But they're not on the list. How did they get in?" Tish asked suspiciously.

"So, this Lazarus bloke," the Doctor interrupted. "He's your boss?"

The woman raised her chin slightly. "Professor Lazarus, yes. I'm part of his executive staff."

"She's in the PR department," Martha said.

Tish smirked. "I'm head of the PR department, actually."

Martha gaped at her, thinking that was an awfully quick rise. "You're joking."

"I put this whole thing together," she said with a fair amount of airs.

The Doctor nodded absently, "So do you know what the professor's going to be doing tonight? That looks like it might be a sonic microfield manipulator."

Rose knew when the 'big words' came into play, something was bound to go wrong.

Tish simply rolled her eyes. "He's a science geek. I should've known. Gotta get back to work now. I'll catch up with you later." She moved on to greet more people.

"Science geek? What does that mean?" he looked at Rose questioningly.

She gave his hand a squeeze. "That your obsessively enthusiastic about it."

He grinned. "Oh, nice."

Martha couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled out, and Rose joined her in mirth. The Doctor looked between them, confused, but that only increased their laughter.

While they were laughing, Martha's mum and brother entered. Not seeing them, Rose excused herself to uses the loo, and the Doctor nodded, beginning to poke fun at Martha for not going with her.

"Don't you women travel in pairs to..."

"Doctor!," she giggled. "Would you stop! I mean really!"

"Martha."

At the sound of her mother's voice, Martha turned and looked at her mother as if she hadn't seen her in years.

"Mum!" she cried, giving her mother a big hug.

Surprised, Francine hugged her in return. "Oh. All right, what's the occasion?"

Self conscious that for her family it had only been a day, Martha pulled back. "What do you mean? I'm just pleased to see you, that's all."

"You saw me last night," the older woman pointed out.

"I know. I just…miss you. You're looking good, Leo," Martha ribbed her brother.

He grinned. "Yeah. If anyone asks me to fetch 'em a drink, I'll swing for him."

Francine noticed the Doctor standing a bit behind Martha and gave him a disapproving look. For his part, the Doctor was completely baffled why she would disapprove of him.

"You disappeared last night," she admonished her daughter.

"I...just went home," Martha explained weakly.

"On your own?" her mother asked, giving him a pointed look.

Martha groaned. "This is a _friend_ of mine, the Doctor."

"Doctor what?"

"No, it's just the Doctor. We've been doing some work together," Martha wished Rose would come back, her presence would make this much smoother.

Leo shook the Doctor's hand.

"Yeah, all right," he grinned, thinking the introductions were going fine. He shook Francine' hand also. "Lovely to meet you, Mrs Jones. Heard a lot about you."

"Have you?" she asked archly. "What have you heard, then?"

"Oh, you know, that you're Martha's mother and…um… No, actually, that's…that's about it. We haven't had much time to chat, you know, been busy," he said, cheerfully missing the way that had to sound.

The mother blinked. "Busy? Doing what, exactly?"

"Oh…you know…stuff."

Whatever she would have said was cut off by her son's low whistle. "Hello, who's this then?"

While he missed the disapproving tones from Martha's mother, he picked up on the appreciative tones of her brother and looked to see the cause. Rose was returning, and he brightened. When she joined them, he put an arm around her, a bit possessively, to be honest.

Rose glanced at the Doctor, then noticed the look on Leo Jones' face and almost laughed. She smiled charmingly at Francine.

"Hello there."

Martha shot her friend a grateful look. "Mum, this is the Doctor's fiancee, Rose Tyler."

Rose shook both their hands, delicately pulling away when Leo would have kissed it.

"You've been working with my daughter also?" Francine asked, eyes narrowed.

That was all it took for Rose to realize her beloved Doctor had already stuck his foot in it and not even noticed. "Oh yes, she's been an absolute dream. I knew from the moment we met her at the hospital she would be invaluable to work with and I was right."

Martha grinned at her, catching her blonde friend's wink. "We have been matched well, haven't we?"

"Rose, have you seen this machine?" the Doctor asked, having been distracted by his curiosity.

Their conversation was cut short, as there was a tapping on glass, a signal that an announcement was about to be made. The man from TV, Lazarus, stood behind a podium and addressed the assemblage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Professor Richard Lazarus and tonight I'm going to perform a miracle. It is, I believe, the most important advance since Rutherford split the atom, the biggest leap since Armstrong stood on the moon. Tonight, you will watch and wonder. Tomorrow, you'll awake to a world which will be changed forever."

Lazarus entered the cabinet. Two female technicians started the machinery from a bank of instruments behind the cabinet.

"You notice how all his employees seem to be vibrant young women," Rose murmured to Martha. "Bet he's a dirty old man."

There was a high-pitched whir and a bright blue light as the four pillars began to spin individually, creating an energy field. They then began to rotate around the cabinet, going faster and faster. A warning klaxon went off.

"Something's wrong. It's overloading," the Doctor said, pulling Rose slightly behind him.

The technicians tried to stop it, but some of the panels exploded, sending off sparks. As the crowd screamed slightly, the Doctor jumped over the low desk and aimed his sonic screwdriver at the controls.

An older woman shouted, "Somebody stop him! Get him away from those controls!"

"If this thing goes off, it'll take the whole building with it. Is that what you want?" he snapped at her. Rose moved nearer.

"He's helping, you cross old bitty, so shut it, yeah?"

The Doctor pulled one of the main wires that connected to the cabinet and it slowly stops spinning. Martha and Rose ran to the door and the Doctor hurried to join them, crying, "Get it open!"

They wrenched open the door and watched as, through the smoke, Lazarus emerged looking 40 years younger. Photographers snapped away as the three of them looked on amazed. Lazarus touched his face, realizing it worked. He stepped completely out and stood before his machine, arms outstretched.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Richard Lazarus. I am 76 years old and I am reborn!"

People were talking and taking the opportunity to have their photograph taken with Lazarus. Completely ignoring the man, Rose and Martha watched as the Doctor studied the machine.

Martha was floored, "It can't be the same guy. It's impossible. It must be a trick."

"Oh, it's not a trick," the Doctor said quietly. "I wish it were."

"What just happened, then?" the medical student asked.

"He just changed what it means to be human," he answered cryptically.

Martha looked to Rose and was completely unnerved by the look of half disguised horror in her eyes. If brave, headstrong Rose was scared, this really was bad.

Not far away, the elderly woman who had shouted walked over to where Lazarus was speaking with some guests.

"Excuse me. That was the most astonishing thing I've ever seen. Look at you!"

He grinned at her. "This is only the beginning, Lady Thaw. We're not just making history; we're shaping the future, too."

"Think of the money we'll make. People will sell their souls to be transformed like that. And I'll be first in line," the woman said greedily.

Lazarus cracked his neck as if experiencing pain and gasped. A waiter came by with a tray of hors d'oeuvres and Lazarus took the whole thing, shovelling one after another into his mouth. Lady Thaw watched, aghast.

"Richard!" the genteel woman gasped.

"I'm famished," he explained simply.

The Doctor, Rose and Martha walked up behind them.

"Energy deficit," the Doctor nodded. "Always happens with this kind of process."

Lazarus shot him a quelling look that a lesser man might have cowed to. "You speak as if you see this every day, Mr—"

"Doctor," he corrected smoothly. "And, well, no, not every day, but I have some experience in this kind of transformation."

"That's not possible," the professor denied.

"Using hypersonic sound waves to create a state of resonance. That's—that's inspired," he nodded.

"You understand the theory, then," the newly young man nodded.

"Enough to know that you couldn't possibly have allowed for all the variables," the Doctor said grimly.

Lazarus scoffed, "No experiment is entirely without risk."

The Doctor pointed at him, "That thing nearly exploded. You might as well have stepped into a blender."

"You're not qualified to comment," Lady Thaw sniffed imperiously.

"If he hadn't stopped it, it would have exploded," Rose put in, daring the older woman to give her a reason to start a fight. The Doctor put a hand on her arm with an amused smile.

The Professor gave a ghost of a smile. "Then I thank you, Doctor. But that's a simple engineering issue. What happened inside the capsule was exactly what was supposed to happen. No more, no less."

Martha gaped. "You've no way of knowing that until you've run proper tests."

Lazarus laughed. "Look at me! You can see what happened. I'm all the proof you need."

"This device will be properly certified before we start to operate commercially," Lady Thaw assured them.

"Commercially?!" Rose exclaimed. "You're nuts you are. That'll cause chaos."

"Not chaos. Change. A chance for humanity to evolve, to improve," the professor said enthusiastically.

The Doctor snarled, "This isn't about improving. It's about you and your customers living a little longer."

"Not a little longer, Doctor. A lot longer. Perhaps indefinitely," the professor smiled.

Lady Thaw sniffed disdainfully. "Richard, we have things to discuss. Upstairs." She walked away and Lazarus moved to follow her.

The Professor stopped. "Goodbye, Doctor. In a few years, you'll look back and laugh at how wrong you were." He reached out and took Rose's hand, kissing the back of it before leaving.

Rose made a face.

"Ooh, he's out of his depth. No idea of the damage he might have done," the Doctor said, shaking his head.

Martha sighed. "So what do we do now?"

"Now…well, this building must be full of laboratories. I say we do our own tests," he grinned.

Martha reached out and grabbed Rose's hand. "Lucky we've just collected a DNA sample then, isn't it?"

Rose sighed. "At least some good came of it. That man is creepy."

The Doctor kissed her forehead. "Then you won't be running off for him then?"

"Oh, Doctor," Rose sighed. "That's just... gross."

They laughed and headed off. Soon, they were in a lab looking at the results of the DNA test on a computer screen. Rose was washing her hand before moving closer.

"Amazing," the Doctor whispered.

"What?" Martha asked.

"Lazarus's DNA."

Rose looked over his shoulder. "I can't see anything different."

"Look at it!" The image on the screen flickered.

Martha gasped. "Oh, my God! Did that just change? But it can't have!"

"But it did."

She shook her head at him. "It's impossible."

Rose snickered. "Like it's impossible for mine to have changed?"

"That's different," the medical student argued. "Yours has always been like that."

"Actually, it's just been over a year," the Doctor said. "Rose merged with the Time Vortex and instead of killing her, the TARDIS decided to help her out and has slowly been changing her instead."

Martha shook her head. "You merged yourself with something that might have killed you? Why would you chance that?"

The blonde nodded at her fiancee. "He sent me away, and he was going to die. I couldn't just sit there and let him, now could I?"

Her friend smiled. "I suppose not. But, still... everything about Lazarus' DNA should be impossible."

The Doctor grinned, "So that's two impossible things we've seen tonight. Don't you love it when that happens?"

"That means Lazarus has changed his own molecular patterns," the medical student said.

"Hypersonic sound waves to destabilize the cell structure then a mutagenic program to manipulate the coding in the protein strands. Basically, he hacked into his own genes and instructed them to rejuvenate," he nodded.

Rose watched the screen. "But they're still mutating now, and unlike mine, it's all over the place."

"'Cause he missed something. Something in his DNA has been activated and won't let him stabilize. Something that's trying to change him."

Martha's question was quiet. "Change him into what?"

He shook his head. "I dunno but I think we need to find out."

"That woman said they were going upstairs," Rose said.

The Doctor stood and grabbed her hand. "Let's go!"

They leave the lab, hurrying away to find the Professor and try to help him. Soon the three of them had moved into Lazarus's office. The Doctor turned on the lights.

"This is his office, all right," Martha said, looking around.

"So, where is he?" the Doctor wondered.

"Dunno," Rose said, getting an eerie feeling from the room. "Let's try back at the re…ception."

Following her suddenly horrified gaze, they saw, sticking out from behind the desk, a pair of skeletal bones—wearing high heels. They rushed over to see the desiccated remains of a woman.

"Is that Lady Thaw?" Martha whispered roughly.

"Used to be. Now it's just a shell. Had all the life energy drained out. Like squeezing the juice out of an orange."

"Doctor... please don't..." his fiancee said weakly.

The medical student spat. "Lazarus."

He nodded. "Could be."

"So he's changed already?" the medical student asked.

The Doctor shook his head. "Not necessarily. You saw the DNA. It was fluctuating. The process must demand energy. This might not have been enough."

"So he might do this again?" Rose asked, angry at the unneccessary loss of life.

At his nod, they left the office, determined to stop him.

They arrived back at the reception looking around for the professor.

"I can't see him," Martha frowned.

"He can't be far. Keep looking," the Doctor told her, walking on.

Her brother approached, putting his hand on her arm. "Hey, you all right, Marth? I think Mum wants to talk to you."

"Have you see Lazarus anywhere?" she asked.

Leo nodded, "Yeah. He was getting' cosy with Tish a couple of minutes ago."

Rose and the Doctor joined them moments before Francine came to speak to her daughter.

Martha gasped. "With Tish?!"

Her mother appraised the man she had decided not to trust. "Ah, Doctor."

The man in question ignored her, looking intently at Leo. "Where did they go?"

"Upstairs I think, why?" was the confused answer.

"Doctor— " Francine tried again, trying to block his path.

The Doctor rushed past, dragging Rose after him, spilling Francine's drink.

Francine snapped, "I'm speaking to you!"

Martha was about to follow the pair, stopping a moment to talk to her mother. "Not now, Mum!"

The Doctor and Rose arrived back at Lazarus's office, Martha a half moment behind them.

"Where are they?" Rose asked, looking around.

The Doctor took out the sonic screwdriver. "Fluctuating DNA will give off an energy signature. I might be able to pick it up."

He held the sonic screwdriver out at arm's length and slowly turned in a circle. Its beeping increased.

"Got him."

Martha turned to him, "Where?"

The Doctor ended up pointing the sonic screwdriver at the ceiling.

"But this is the top floor! The roof!" she cried, rushing off in her worry for her sister.

The other two were behind her as she ran. They got to the roof as Lazarus caressed Tish's cheek.

The woman asked in a slightly breathless voice, "And is it like you expected?"

He smiled, leaning toward her. "I find that nothing's ever exactly like you expect. There's always something to surprise you. 'Between the idea and the reality, between the motion and the act—'"

"…falls the shadow'," the Doctor finished the quote, feeling that someone should interrupt.

Lazarus turned to see the people standing at the roof access. "So the mysterious Doctor knows his Eliot. I'm impressed."

Tish turned also, frowning. "Martha, what are you doing here?"

"Tish, get away from him," her sister said, fear making her words harsher than she intended.

Naturally, the younger woman balked. "What? Don't tell me what to do."

The Doctor narrowed his eyes. "I wouldn't have thought you had time for poetry, Lazarus, what with you being busy defying the laws of nature and all."

The professor smirked. "You're right, Doctor. One lifetime's been too short for me to do everything I'd like. How much more would I get done in two or three or four?"

"Doesn't work like that. Some people live more in 20 years than others do in 80. It's not the time that mattes; it's the person," the Doctor reprimanded him, glancing at Rose with a smile. Still so young, but he knew she'd done more with her life to help others than this man had even considered.

"But if it's the right person, what a gift that would be," Lazarus argued, making a face as his unstable genes twitched.

"Or what a curse. Look at what you've done to yourself," the Doctor growled.

"Who are you to judge me?" the man said, tipping his head as he fought the fluctuation.

Martha beckoned her sister closer. "Over here, Tish."

Tish stalked over to Martha. "You have to spoil everything, don't you? Every time I find someone nice, you have to go and find fault."

Lazarus was having another attack, jerking and pulling .

"Tish, he's a monster!" Martha tried to explain.

The woman shrugged, dismissing her sister's concerns. "I know the age thing's a bit freaky, but it works for Catherine Zeta-Jones."

At the sound of growling, Tish slowly turned and saw the monster for the first time. It looked a cross between and human skeleton and a scorpion, its skin stretched tight over sinew and bone, mouth opening both vertically and horizontally as it leaned forward and inhaled hungrily.

"Such… energy…" it hissed.

The Doctor jerked back, following Lazarus' eyes to a whole new target. One with more energy in their system than an ordinary human being. Cold dread pooled in his stomach as he grabbed the hand that fit perfectly in his. "Run!"

They raced inside and the Doctor sealed the lock with the sonic screwdriver. Martha pressed the call button for the lift.

"Are you okay, sis?"

"I was gonna snog him!"

Lazarus banged on the door, alerting the building's automatic security. Sirens began to go off and a computerised warning came over the PA. "Security breach. Security breach. Security beach."

"What's happening?" Rose shouted over the sound.

"Uh, an intrusion. It triggers a security lockdown. Kills most of the power. Stops the lifts. Seals the exits," Tish explained, staring back at the door in terror.

The Doctor growled, "He must be breaking through that door. The stairs, come on! I have to get you out of here."

As they ran down the stairs, they heard the door crash open.

"He's inside!" Martha screamed.

The Doctor tightened his grip on Rose. "Haven't got much time, then!"

They hit the bottom of the stairs and burst back into the reception, and the Doctor snapped at the PR woman, "Tish! Is there another way out of here?"

"There's an exit in the corner, but it'll be locked now," she answered.

The Doctor tossed the sonic screwdriver to Rose, hoping to distract her so she didn't realize he was getting her as far from Lazarus as he could. "Love, setting 54. Hurry."

She nodded, rushing off followed by the Jones sisters. The Doctor jumped on the platform in front of Lazarus's machine, addressing the crowd, "Listen to me! Your people are in serious danger! You need to get out of here right now!"

One woman snapped, "Don't be ridiculous. The biggest danger here is choking on an olive."

Suddenly, glass shattered and Lazarus appeared on the landing above before leaping down to the reception floor. Rose and Martha rushed to open the door as everyone ran for the exits. Tish tried to direct them toward the side.

Leo pushed his mother out of the way. "Mum, get back!"

He was struck in the head by a table the monster sent flying, collapsing on the floor.

"Leo!" Francine shouted.

Rose managed to open the door and Martha began shouting, "Over here! This way! Everyone downstairs now! Hurry!"

Lazarus closed in on the woman who wouldn't believe the Doctor and she just stood there, staring at the creature.

"No!" cried the Doctor. "Get away from her!"

The woman screamed as Lazarus snatched her up and opened that huge mouth, settling it over her face as he sucked her dry and then letting her shell fall to the floor. Francine hovered over Leo who was slowly coming to as Lazarus approached.

The Doctor was just behind the monster. "Lazarus! Leave them alone!"

Rose, seeing his path, left Martha with her sister and ran to help her mother and brother.

Francine gasped, "You!"

"C'mon, stay with us," Rose smacked his cheeks a few times. "Francine, help me move your son."

They picked him up together, and ran to safety, while the Doctor taunted the mutated man to distract him.

"What's the point if you can't control it? The mutation's too strong. Killing those people won't help you. You're a fool, a vain old man who thought he could defy Nature. Only Nature got her own back, didn't she? You're a joke, Lazarus! A footnote in the history of failure!"

He ran away from the reception hall and up through the hallways, Lazarus following.

Out of harm's way for the moment, Martha was examining Leo.

"What's the Doctor doing?" Tish asked, glancing back at the door anxiously.

"He's trying to buy us some time. Let's not waste it," Rose answered, trying not to think of him in there alone.

"Leo, look at me. Let me see your eyes," Martha said before turning to her mother. "He's got a concussion. You'll need to help him downstairs." Martha moved to an ice bucket and put some ice in a napkin, which she then gave to Francine. "This'll keep the swelling down. Go! I'll be right behind you! Tish, move! We need to get out of here! Rose, is anyone left in the room?"

"No, we're the last. Move, Jones family!"

The Doctor ran into a service hall filled with all sorts of pipes. He crept through quietly, aware that Lazarus was not far behind him.

The hissing voice called to him. "It's no good, Doctor. You can't stop me. You'll only fail, and then who will stand between me and your lovely blonde friend?"

Gritting his teeth, the Doctor asked, "Is that the same arrogance you had when you swore nothing had gone wrong with your device?"

Lazarus laughed. "The arrogance is yours. You can't stand in the way of progress."

"You call feeding on innocent people progress? You're delusional!"

The creature slammed one of its huge claw like appendages into the pipes, close to the Doctor. "It is a necessary sacrifice."

"That's not your decision to make," he shouted, ducking further away.

The partygoers were running down the stairs to the main entrance but the doors were locked. Panic was setting in.

"We can't get out! We're trapped!" Tish screamed with the rest.

"There must be an override switch. Where's the security desk? Tish!" Rose shouted, shaking her slightly.

"Right there," she pointed.

Rose and Martha ran to the desk and slid over the top, checking the panel layout. Martha found the right area and pointed, and Rose used the sonic screwdriver. The power came back on, the doors bursting open as everyone escaped.

With the power back on, the lights returned in the service hall and the Doctor was no longer hidden as he once was.

The sick grin on the monster's face as he hung from the ceiling turned the Doctor's stomach as Lazarus hissed, "Peek-a-boo."

"Oh, hello," the Time Lord said. "And goodbye."

He ran at full speed from the room.

Getting the last people out, Rose ran to her friend. "Martha, I've got to go back."

The medical student nodded. "I know. I'm going with you."

Francine grabbed her daughter's arm. "You can't! You saw what that thing did. It'll kill you."

"I don't care. I have to go," Martha insisted, pulling away.

Her mother gaped at her. "It's that Doctor, isn't it? That's what's happened to you. That's why you've changed."

Rose shook her head. Why did everyone assume Martha wanted her fiancée?

"Mum! I'm not chasing after the Doctor! He's engaged to my very good friend, here. And I wouldn't leave _anyone_ to face that monster alone."

Her sister put a hand on her arm. "He was buying us time, Martha. Time for you to get out, too."

Rose sighed. "Martha, I'm sorry… I have to go to him."

As she ran into the building, her friend groaned and looked at her family. "I'm not leaving them."

"Martha!" Francine shouted as Tish pulled her away.

The Doctor entered a lab and fiddled with the battery of a light fixture, leaving wires exposed. He then turned on all the gas jets. He ducked down when he heard Lazarus.

"More hide-and-seek, Doctor? How disappointing. Why don't you come out and face me?"

"Have you looked in the mirror lately?" the Doctor stood. "Why would I wanna face that, hmm?"

The Doctor ran from the room, flicking a switch as he left, causing the room to explode behind him. Rose heard the crash and changed direction, running into him as they reached a corner.

"What are you doing here?" he cried out, hugging his fiancée close despite his fear for her safety.

"I was just returning this, dear," she teased. "I thought you might need it."

He dropped a kiss on her nose. "How did you-?"

"I heard the explosion. Guessed it was you," she grinned.

"I blasted Lazarus," he explained.

She blinked. "Did you kill him?"

A roar behind them heralded Lazarus as he came crashing down the hall.

The Doctor looked back before taking her hand and running down the hall as fast as he could. "More sort of annoyed him, I'd say."

They ran into Martha part of the way down the hall.

"Other way, Martha!" Rose shouted. "Doctor's been making friends!"

They returned to the reception area.

Martha sighed, "What now? We've just gone 'round in a circle!"

Lazarus burst in and the Doctor headed for the device.

"We can't let him outside. Come on, get in."

Rose and Martha moved toward it, squeezing in, leaving just enough room for him.

"Are we hiding?" Martha asked, a bit awkward.

"No, he knows we're here. But this is his masterpiece. I'm betting he won't destroy it, not even to get at Ro-us," the Doctor said, looking around the tiny capsule.

"But, sweetheart, we're trapped!" Rose pointed out. She heard his slip, but decided it would be better to discuss after they were safe.

"Well, yeah, that's a slight problem," he admitted.

"You mean you don't have a plan?" Martha cried.

"Yes," he cried, "the plan was to get inside here!"

Rose placed a hand on his chest. "Then what?"

"Well…then I'd come up with another plan," he sighed.

Martha sighed. "In your own time, then."

In the tight quarters, the Doctor had a hard time reaching into his pocket.

"Hey!" Martha shouted.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry"

Rose laughed. "I'll get it." She reached into his pocket and pulled out the screwdriver. "Here you go."

"What're you gonna do with that?" Martha asked.

"Improvise," the Doctor slid down slowly to the floor and popped open a panel.

"Oh another set of circumstances and one less person…" Rose teased. "No offense Martha."

She couldn't help but laugh, amazed at their ability to crack jokes in the face of death. "I still don't understand where that thing came from. Is it alien?"

"No, for once it's strictly human in origin," he said, using the sonic screwdriver on the wires attached to the panel.

"Human? How can it be human?" she gasped.

"Probably from dormant genes in Lazarus's DNA. The energy field in this thing must have reactivated them. And it looks like they're becoming dominant."

"So it's a throwback," Rose clarified.

"Some option that evolution rejected for you millions of years ago, but the potential is still there. Locked away in your genes, forgotten about until Lazarus unlocked it by mistake," he nodded, glancing over at Rose's feet. He really thought this was an inappropriate time to find her so attractive, but she really had lovely legs. He shook himself and continued to work on the wires.

"It's like Pandora's box," Martha said to Rose.

"Exactly." He really oughtn't…

"Theta, as gorgeous as that would be any other time, focus please?" his fiancée sighed as he reached out to see if her skin was as soft as it looked.

"Sorry!" He couldn't understand why both women suddenly started laughing.

A blue light filled the capsule.

"Doctor, what's happening?" Rose asked.

"Sounds like he's switched the machine on," the Doctor scowled.

"That's not good, is it?" Martha groaned.

"Well, I was hoping it was gonna take him a little bit longer to work that out."

The medical student fidgeted nervously. "I don't want to hurry you, but—"

"I know, I know. Nearly done."

"What're you doin'?" his fiancée asked.

"Trying to set the capsule to reflect energy rather than receive it."

"Will that kill him?"

"When he transforms, he's three times his size—cellular triplication—so he's spreading himself thin," the Doctor tried to explain while he worked.

"We're gonna end up like him!" Martha pointed out.

"Just one more!" he said, pulling a wire and causing the energy field to change, moving out from the capsule, knocking Lazarus away. The Doctor opened the door and stepped out, the women right behind him.

"I thought we were gonna go through the blender then," Martha admitted.

H shook his head. "Really shouldn't take that long just to reverse the polarity. I must have been distracted by something."

"Yeah, your fiancee's legs," his friend teased.

They looked at Lazarus, lying in human form, naked, on the floor.

Rose frowned. "Oh God. He seems so…human again. It's kind of pitiful."

The Doctor put an arm around her. "Eliot saw that, too. 'This is the way the world ends, not with a bang, but with a whimper.'"

She smirked at him. "No, I was there. It was more a sigh of relief that I wasn't fried to a crisp."

"Our first date," he grinned.

Martha shook her head. "Come on, lovebirds."

Medical services came to take the body, carrying it out on a gurney in a bag. Martha and the couple watched from the steps. The first to see them was Tish.

"She's here. Oh, she's all right," she called out, rushing to hug Martha.

Francine and Leo rushed over as well.

"Ah, Mrs Jones, I am sorry for blowing you off…"

Francine raised a hand to slap him on the face, but Rose was between them in a flash.

"I really wouldn't try it, lady," she warned, eyes flashing angrily.

"You… you just keep away from my daughter," the woman snapped.

"Mum, what are you doing?" Martha cried.

The Doctor put his hand on his cheek, realizing how close he came to being slapped. "Mothers, every time. Why do they always want to hit me?"

Francine shot her daughter a quelling look. "He is dangerous! I've been told things."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, horrified.

Francine took Martha by the shoulders. "Look around you! Nothing but death and destruction!"

"Oi!" Rose shouted. "This isn't his fault. He saved all of you from that Professor!"

Leo spoke up. "It was Tish who invited everyone to this thing in the first place. I'd say technically, it's her fault."

Tish elbowed Leo in the side. The Doctor started to speak, but there was a crash and the Doctor looked at Rose before they went running off. Martha immediately moved to follow but Francine held her back.

"Leave him," she ordered.

Martha shook her head and ran after them.

"Martha?" Tish called, taking two steps.

"Not you, too?" Francine moaned.

"Sorry," she sighed, running after them.

Tish joined up with the Doctor, Rose, and Martha as they ran down the street until they saw the ambulance, doors wide open and the medics merely husks.

"Lazarus, back from the dead. Should've known, really," the Doctor sighed. He took out the sonic screwdriver and searched for Lazarus like he did earlier.

Rose looked around. "Where's he gone?"

"That way. The church," he answered, pointing.

"Cathedral," Tish said. "It's Southwark Cathedral. He told me."

They headed for the cathedral. Once inside, they proceeded up the center of the sanctuary, the Doctor in front with the sonic screwdriver held out in front of him.

"Do you think he's in here?" Martha asked.

"Where would you go if you were looking for sanctuary?" the Doctor asked rhetorically.

The moved forward through the empty cathedral to the open space behind the altar and underneath the bell tower. Lazarus was sitting there gasping, a red blanket from the ambulance wrapped about him.

"I came here before," the man wheezed. "A lifetime ago. I thought I was going to die then. In fact, I was sure of it. I sat there, just a child…the sound of planes and bombs outside."

"The Blitz," the Doctor nodded.

He nodded. "You've read about it."

The Time Lord lifted Rose's hand slightly. "We were there."

"You're too young," Lazarus scoffed.

"So are you," the Doctor pointed out.

The man laughed but it turned to gasps of pain as he fought the mutation. "In the morning, the fires had died, and I was still alive. I swore I'd never face death like that again."

The Doctor let go of Rose's hand and walked around Lazarus slowly, looking up at the bell tower. She watched, knowing he was planning something. She shot a look at Martha who nodded and stepped closer, pulling Tish with her.

The man wheezed, "So defenceless. I would arm myself, fight back, defeat it."

"That's what you were trying to do today," the Doctor said in an understanding tone.

"That's what I did today," Lazarus snarled.

The Doctor shook his head. "What about the other people who died?"

The man gave a gasping cry, doubling over. "They were nothing. I changed the course of history."

He gestured to the door, angry at the callous creature. "Any of them might have done, too. You think history's only made with equations? Facing death is part of being human. You can't change that."

Lazarus laughed harshly. "No, Doctor. Avoiding death. That's being human. It's our strongest impulse, to cling to life with every fibre of being. I'm doing what everyone before me has tried to do. I've simply been more…successful." He groaned in pain as his body tried to change.

"Look at yourself! You're mutating! You've no control over it! You call that a success?"

"I call it progress. I'm more now that I was. More than just an ordinary human," Lazarus insisted.

The look of love the Doctor shot Rose even made Tish sigh. "There's no such thing as an ordinary human."

She smiled back at him, mouthing 'I love you'.

Martha nodded toward the man on the floor, whispering as the Doctor circled near them, "He's gonna change again at any minute."

He whispered back, "I know. If I can get him up into the bell tower somehow, I've an idea that might work."

Martha looked toward the tower. "Up there?"

The Doctor nodded as Lazarus spoke again.

"You're so sentimental, Doctor. Maybe you are older than you look."

"I'm old enough to know that a longer life isn't always a better one. In the end, you just get tired. Tired of the struggle. Tired of losing everyone that matters to you. Tried of watching everything turn to dust." He squatted next to the man. "If you live long enough, Lazarus, the only certainty left is that you would do almost anything so you don't end up alone."

"Being alone is a price worth paying."

"No it isn't," the Doctor said sadly.

Lazarus jerked, feeling the change again. "I will feed soon."

"I'm not gonna let that happen," the Doctor assured him.

"You've not been able to stop me so far," the man snarled. "And next on the menu is that blonde you seem so protective of."

Rose saw the Doctor stiffen, and decided to step in before he did something dangerous to himself.

"You want me," she snapped. "You'll have to catch me. Hope you like dinner on the go."She turned and ran for the stairs, Martha and Tish following right behind her.

The Doctor's eyes nearly popped out. "Rose! No!"

Lazarus snarled and pushed past the stunned Doctor, chasing after her.

Rose looked at Martha and her sister. "What are you doing?"

"Keeping you out of trouble!" Tish answered with a fleeting grin.

"Doctor! The tower!" Martha shouted.

The women ran up the narrow spiral staircase that led to the upper level. Lazarus followed but stopped and began screaming.

"Did you hear that?" the younger woman gasped.

"He's changed again," Rose said, her expression determined. "We've got to lead him up."

Down below, the Doctor looked for them. "Where are they? Rose?!"

She peered out of one of the archways in the upper level. "I'm ok, Doctor!"

He sighed visibly with relief, knowing he had to let her be the same woman she always had been, even if he hated her being in danger. He trusted her. "Take him to the top, the very top of the bell tower, d'you hear me?!"

"Up to the top! Got it!"

"Martha…" Tish said shakily.

She saw Lazarus' shadow moving up the passage. "Uh, Rose?"

"What do I do at the top?"

Martha grabbed her, "Rose, come on!"

They ran again, just ahead of the creature.

The Doctor ran to the large pipe organ and sat on the bench. He then pulled out the sonic screwdriver. "Hypersonic sound waves. Inspired."

He jammed the screwdriver into a slot in the organ and began to pull out all the stops.

Rose, Martha, and Tish arrived at the top of the bell tower, which was a circular walkway with wooden rails.

"There's nowhere to go! We're trapped!" Tish cried, looking around in alarm.

"This is where he said to bring him," Rose said confidently.

"All right, so we're not trapped. We're bait," she corrected dismally.

"They know what they're doing," Martha soothed her sister. "We have to trust the Doctor."

"Ladies," Lazarus hissed ominously as he entered, blocking the only doorway.

Rose stepped in front of the other two, eyes flashing gold. "Stay behind me. If he takes me, make a run for it. Head down the stairs, you should have enough time."

"But—" Tish cried.

"Just do as she says, Tish!" Martha snapped.

Lazarus attacked, swinging down his tail.

Down at the organ the Doctor heard the commotion and looked up as one of the girls screamed. "I hope it's good acoustic in here. Hang on, my Rose."

The Doctor began playing the organ.

Lazarus knocked away part of the wall and Rose was hit by his tail and fell over the side, clinging to the edge.

Both Jones women screamed out, "Rose!"

With a roar of triumph, Lazarus leapt across to stand over the hanging woman.

"Hold on Rose! Get away from her! Tish, help me!" Martha yelled.

The Doctor played more frantically but it wasn't having the desired effect. He pulled out the sonic screwdriver and reset the volume of the organ. "We need to turn this up to 11."

He resumed playing.

Up in the bell tower, Tish and Martha held their heads in agony as the sound waves from the organ resonated in the tight space. Lazarus began to writhe. Martha cried out trying to hold on. Lazarus toppled over the edge and fell to the floor below.

The Doctor stopped playing and walked to the edge, looking down. Lazarus lay far below, returned to his original human form.

Rose lost her grip just as Martha and Tish both lunged forward and caught her wrists, but not before a splintered rail gouged her right arm. She screamed out in pain, the Doctor whirling to look at her.

"We've got you. Hold on," Tish said.

"Rose?!" her fiancee cried.

They pulled her back onto the walkway and Martha sobbed in relief, hugging her.

Rose hugged her back, shouting to him, "I'm okay! We're all okay!" She turned to the two women who had pulled her up. "Thanks."

"It's your Doctor you should be thanking," Tish smiled.

Martha grinned at her sister. "Told you he'd think of something."

"He cut it a bit fine there, didn't he?" the younger woman asked, standing.

Rose laughed, "He always does. It's more fun that way."

"Who are you people?" Tish asked. "Martha, what are you involved in with them?"

Martha shrugged, helping Rose stand. "He's the Doctor, and this is his Rose... who's bleeding. Oh your arm!"

The woman looked at it. "I'll make it for a while. I need to reassure him before he barges up the stairs. Come on."

The Doctor knelt by Lazarus's body, closing his eyes. He gave a sigh, always hating when a life was lost. As he heard footsteps on the stairs, he rushed to pull Rose into his arms.

"I'll get blood on you," she warned him.

He pulled her to him. "I don't care, you scared me out of a regeneration."

"I didn't know you could play," Martha said, smiling at the Doctor.

He grinned over Rose's head. "Oh, well, you know, if you hang around with Beethoven, you're bound to pick a few things up."

"Hmm, especially about playing loud."

He leaned forward like he didn't hear her, "Sorry?"

Martha laughed, while Tish just shook her head, thinking they were all insane.

Suddenly, the Doctor held Rose out and looked at her in alarm. "Wait, blood?"

Rose nodded, holding out her arm. "It wasn't bad. I figured I would just have Martha clean it up."

The almost doctor moved closer, wiping off her arm. "Wait... Rose, it's healed..."

She blinked, shaking her head. "No, it can't be." She looked close and saw that it was.

"Self repair," the Doctor smiled. "When the TARDIS takes structural damage, it can repair itself. With your connection, looks like you can also."

"So I don't age and heal quick now?" Rose laughed. "Just don't let me turn into a blue box."

He kissed her. "No fear. I quite like you this way. Just try not to die."

"I will if you will."

Several hours later, the Doctor, Rose, and Martha were standing in front of the TARDIS, once again in Martha's flat. They had all gotten cleaned up and changed, and were a bit awkward around each other. The Doctor and Rose wanted Martha to keep traveling with them, but didn't know if she'd rather stay with her family now; while Martha wanted to keep traveling with them but thought perhaps they didn't want her.

"Something else that just kind of escalated, then," the Doctor said, unable to take the silence anymore.

The medical student smiled weakly. "I can see a pattern developing. You guys should take more care in the future. And the past, and whatever other time period you find yourselves in."

"It's good fun, though, isn't it?" Rose commented, leaning against the TARDIS.

"Yeah." Martha stared at the floor.

The Doctor looked at Rose, who nodded at Martha, encouraging him to ask her. He nodded and took a breath. "So, what d'you say, one more trip?"

"No. Sorry."

"What do you mean?" Rose blurted in dismay. "I thought you liked it."

Their friend looked torn. "I do, but I can't go on like this. 'One more trip.' It's not fair."

The Doctor frowned. "What're you talking about?"

She sighed heavily, trying to think of a way to explain how she felt. "I don't want to be just a passenger anymore. Someone you take along for a treat. If that's how you still see me, well, I'd rather stay here."

Rose beamed and the Doctor nodded. "Okay, then. If that's what you want."

She slumped. They were tired of her. Well, it had been fun. "Right. But we've already said good-bye once today so it's really best if you just go."

Martha walked away from the TARDIS, keeping her back to it. When neither Rose nor the Doctor said anything, she looked over her shoulder.

"What is it?"

The Doctor shrugged. "What? I said okay."

"Sorry?"

Rose giggled and nodded toward the TARDIS. "Okay."

She stood there a moment before she realized what they meant, then it dawned on her and she flew across the flat to hug them both. "Oh, thank you! Thank you!"

"Well, you were never really just a passenger, were you?," Rose grinned. "And I would miss you terribly."

The Doctor laughed as he opened the door. "Well, ladies, where are we going next?"

"Not Ralpish Foon!" his fiancee laughed. "I'm not getting mauled again."

"Let's just pick a random star and go visit it!" Martha suggested as they entered the ship.

The Doctor smiled as he watched the two link arms. It amazed him how happy he was, since he thought he would never be happy again after the Time War. All because of his Rose. His pink and yellow girl, his whole universe in one incredible human.

Well... mostly human.

_A/N: Yay! Let me know what you think! Remember, the more I hear from you, the more I want to write for you! Poll is still open for wedding details, though the ideas are beginning to solidify. Also, I'm curious as to you will all react to what I'm planning for "The Sound of Drums"/"The Last of the Time Lords", but I'm not going to give away too many secrets. Anyway! I'm off to write. Click and review! It would tickle me right down to my toes to top a hundred on this story before the end of Season Three._


	9. 0307 42

_A/N: Someone told me that the episodes for 'Daleks in Manhattan' and 'Evolution of a Dalek' seemed rather soulless to them, and I believe it's because I didn't really care for those episodes. I apologize for not giving my absolute best to them, but I just wanted them over. I hope that none of my future episodes fall short as those did. As I'm working on 'Human Nature' now, and I seem to have contracted some sort of stomach virus, it may take a while to update. Please be patient with me and thanks for sticking with my attempts to plug Rose back into the show that I wish she hadn't had to leave._

Season Three: "42"

The TARDIS flew through the Time Vortex, the people inside barely noticing the movement. Rose was curled up in the Captain's chair, reading a book on relative dimensions while the Doctor was using the sonic screwdriver on Martha's phone.

"Her phone is nicer than yours," he noticed absently.

She looked up. "I don't doubt it. Mine's about six years old. Hate it, but never had the money to get a new one."

He glanced at her with a half smile. "I can get you a new phone, Rose."

She laughed and shook her head. "I'm really not worried about it, Doctor. Who would I call?"

He set the phone and screw driver down on the console and walked over to the captain's chair. He took the book out of her hands and set it on the console as well, turning back and leaning over the woman with an arm on either side of her, trapping her in the seat. Rose grinned impishly at him.

"Whatcha doin' Doctor?" she asked teasingly.

He bent forward and kissed her deliberately, a very serious look on his face. She sobered, her arms snaking around his neck as she returned the kiss.

"I love you, Rose Tyler," he murmured softly. "I'm sorry I can't give you back your family, but you will always be the most important thing in the universe to me."

"Oh, Theta," she sighed, pulling his head down so his forehead rested against hers. "What happened isn't your fault. They had to go, I had to stay. I could have gone with Mum, but I chose a life with you, and I would do it again. I love you, with my whole being."

He beamed at her with that, and kissed her again. Neither noticed Martha entering.

"Should I go look for the library again?" she asked teasingly.

"Would you if I said yes?" the Doctor shot back with a laugh.

"Nope."

Rose laughed, releasing her fiancee. "Have you even found it yet?" she asked her friend.

The Doctor returned to Martha's phone, walking around the centre console with it in his hand, working on it once more.

Martha shook her head, coming over to sit in the Captain's seat with Rose. "I think the TARDIS likes hiding it from me. Like a game. If I didn't keep seeing you reading different books, I'd swear there wasn't a library. What are you reading this time?"

"Doctor, can you hand me my book?" she asked, not wanting to get up. "This one's about..." She read the title as he handed it to her. "Relative Dimensions in Time and Space."

Their companion shook her head. "And you understand that?"

Rose shrugged. "It makes a lot more sense after traveling with my Doctor this long. And if I find something that doesn't, well, I just ask him to explain."

The Doctor moved back over to them and handed Martha the fixed phone. "There we go! Universal Roaming. Never have to worry about a signal again."

"No way!" Martha exclaimed. "But it's... too mad! You're telling me I can call anyone, anywhere in Space and Time on my mobile?!"

He moved to the controls, moving a few of the knobs and levers. "Long as you know the area code. Frequent Fliers' privilege."

"Go on. Try it," Rose grinned.

Her friend looked at her. "Your phone does it too?"

She grinned wider and nodded.

"Do you ever call your mum?" Martha asked, feeling horrible when Rose's face fell, her eyes shining a bit with unshed tears.

"My mum's... not around now," was all she said.

The other woman made to apologize when the TARDIS jolted, throwing them all to the floor. The monitor began flashing red.

The Doctor scrambled to his feet, peering at the screen. "Distress signal! Locking on!" With his foot, he activated a switch on the console. "Might be a bit of..." Another violent jolt sent them flying again. Then, all was still. The Doctor sat up. "… Turbulence. Sorry! Come on! Let's take a look!"

He helped Rose to her feet, then held out a hand to Martha. Grabbing his fiancee's hand, he moved to the door and looked out. The TARDIS had landed in what looked to be an engine room, albeit one which was glowing red from extreme heat.

"Whoa! Now that is hot!" he said, stepping out with Rose.

"It's like a sauna in here!" Martha cried, taking her jacket off in favor of a maroon tank top.

The Doctor looked around, his insatiable curiosity active. "Venting systems. Working at full pelt. Trying to cool down… Uh, where-ever it is we are. Well! If you can't stand the heat…" He walked towards a heavy-duty door, opened it, and walked through. Above the door was a sign, saying 'Area 30'. "Well, that's better…"

Rose and Martha followed, the former shedding the pink hoodie she'd been wearing to reveal a pink tank underneath.

"Blimey," she muttered as the three of them heard footsteps.

Three people, two men and a woman, came running towards them from the opposite direction. They all looked very hot, so perhaps they weren't going to find much relief out here.

"Oi! You lot!" one of the men shouted.

"Get out of there!" the woman yelled.

The man pointed behind them. "Seal that door! Now!"

The Doctor was stunned and confused. The two men quickly sealed the door, nearly shoving Rose and Martha aside. The Doctor scowled and put an arm around Rose's waist.

The woman glared at them, snapping, "Who are you? What are you doing on my ship?"

"Are you police?" the man asked.

The Doctor tipped his head. "Why would we be police?"

"We got your distress signal," Rose explained.

"If this is a ship, why can't I hear any engines?" the Doctor asked, glancing around.

The woman, captain apparent, said brusquely, "It went dead four minutes ago."

The other man finally spoke, his tone derisive, "So maybe we should stop chatting and get to engineering. Captain."

"Secure closure active," an electronic voice announced.

There was a loud clang behind them and the captain turned to look. "What?!"

The second man snarled, "The ship's gone mad."

Yet another person, another woman, was running down the corridor, with doors slamming shut just behind her.

"Who activated secure closure? I nearly got locked in to area 27," she asked breathlessly as the closest door slammed shut locking them into area 29. She looked at the three new faces, puzzled. "Who are you?"

The Doctor started to answer, but Martha cut him off. "He's the Doctor and I'm Martha, and this... that is Rose. Hello."

Rose had begun to walk forward, looking like she had been possessed. Martha watched her.

The electronic voice spoke again, "Impact projection: 42 minutes."

Rose moved to a small window that appeared to have golden light shining in, staring out with wide eyes. now the Doctor was watching her as well.

The Captain shook her head. "We'll get out of this. I promise."

Rose looked hypnotized, staring out the window as she said softly, "Doctor…"

Taking a step toward his fiancee, the Doctor asked, "Forty-two minutes 'til what?"

Rose gasped as though she was in pain. "Doctor! Look!"

The Doctor rushed to her side and looked out the window with her. He saw a burning sun, far too close to the ship for comfort. It appeared that the ship was hurtling towards it.

Behind him, he heard the Captain say, "Forty – two minutes until we crash into the sun."

The Doctor turned away from the window, pulling Rose with him over to the Captain, and grabbed the woman's arm. He sounded panicky as he asked her, "How many crew members on board?"

"Seven, including us," she said in confusion.

"We transport cargo across the galaxy. Everything's automated. We just keep the ship…" one of the men started to explain.

The Doctor wasn't listening as he ran back towards the door they came from. "Call the others, I'll get you out! We'll not hang around here."

He made to open the door and the crew members rushed to stop him.

"What's he doing?!"

"No! Don't!"

But it was too late. The Doctor had opened the door. It had become so hot in area 30, the pure force knocked the Doctor backwards and off his feet. He yelled as he fell and Martha and Rose both automatically came to his aid, but he wasn't hurt. One of the crew members shut the door, dressed in a breathing apparatus, whilst the others crowded round the Doctor.

"But my ship's in there!" the Doctor shouted, alarmed. If something happened to the TARDIS... then Rose was in danger.

The first man blinked in surprise. "In the vent chamber?"

The crew member who shut the door took their breathing apparatus off. It was the female crew member, and she stood beside the door, and read off of the gauges there.

"It's our lifeboat!" the Doctor tried to explain.

"It's lava," the second man snapped.

"The temperature's going mad in there! Up 3000 degrees in ten seconds, and still rising," the woman at the door announced.

The first man shook his head. "Channelling the air. The closer we get to the sun, the hotter that room's gonna get."

Martha groaned. "We're stuck here."

Rose was trembling, and very quiet, looking at the window again.

The Doctor got to his feet, thinking quickly. "So? We fix the engines, we steer the ship away from the Sun! Simple! Engineering down here, is it?!" He began running down a corridor, stopping after several feet and going back to grab Rose's hand and tug her with him.

"Impact in 40.26," came the computerized voice.

The Doctor, followed by the Captain and the rest of the crew ran down a set of stairs. The Doctor stopped suddenly near the bottom, bemused. Rose ran into him, nearly knocking him off the steps.

Regaining his balance, he said, "Blimey! Do you always leave things in such a mess?"

The Captain gaped at the mess in the room. "Oh my god!"

"What the hell happened?!" the angry man demanded.

They all walked over to what looked like a completely wrecked engine. Wires, springs and casing were all over the place, all steaming. They all walked round the piece of machinery, surveying the damage, except Rose, who just stood there, watching the stairs.

"Oh, it's wrecked," the man who had spoken to them first moaned.

"Pretty efficiently too," the Doctor agreed. "Someone knew what they were doing. "

He looked up at Rose, worried. Something was bothering her, since they'd arrived. He didn't like it. Anything that could worry his Rose that much had to be bad. He wandered over to a computer terminal, attached to the wreckage.

The Captain looked around, slightly panicked. "Where's Korwin? Has anyone heard from him or Ashton?"

"No." the rude man said again.

"You mean someone did this on purpose?" Martha asked, appalled.

The Captain ran over to the intercom system, shouting into it, "Korwin? Ashton? Where are you? Korwin, can you answer?! Where the hell is he? He should be up here!"

The Doctor was scanning to find out where they were. Behind him, the crew was rushing about, trying to find Korwin, and trying to repair the ship. Martha stepped closer to Rose.

"You doing okay?" she asked.

Rose looked blankly at her. "Can you hear the screaming?"

Martha blinked, glancing at the Doctor. "Honey, I don't hear screaming."

The blonde woman shook her head. "I don't understand why no one is checking on it."

The medical student gave her a quick hug. Hearing screaming, not a good sign. "It's okay, Rose. The Doctor will fix it," she promised, praying she was right.

From the monitor, the Doctor said cheerfully, "Oh! We're in the Torajji system! Lovely! You're a long way from home, Martha. Half a universe away."

"Yeah. Feels it," Martha mumbled, keeping an eye on Rose.

He turned to the Captain. "And, you're still using energy scoops for fusion? Hasn't that been outlawed yet?"

The crew looked at each other, guiltily. The three travelers noticed, but said nothing.

The Captain dismissed him completely, "We're due to upgrade next docking. Scannell, engine report."

The rude man, who was apparently Scannell, walked over to the computer terminal the Doctor was at before. He scanned, with everyone looking anxiously over his shoulder. The machine beeped several times.

"No response," He rushed to the wrecked engine and began to check something.

"What?!" the Captain exclaimed.

He pointed out pieces of wire protruding from the wreck. "They're burnt out. The controls are wrecked. I can't get them back online."

The Doctor pulled his glasses off. "Oh come on! Auxiliary engines! Every craft's got auxiliaries!"

"We don't have access from here. The auxiliary controls are in the front of the ship," the woman in charge glared at him.

Scannell snorted. "Yeah, with 29 password sealed doors between us and them. You'll never get there in time."

"Can't you override the doors?" Martha asked, beginning to get annoyed with the man.

"No," he snapped. "Sealed closure means what it says. They're all dead-lock sealed."

"So a sonic screwdriver's no use…" the Doctor frowned.

Scannell laughed harshly. "Nothing's any use. We've got no engines, no time, and no chance."

Rose turned angrily to him. "If you aren't going to help, then shut up!" The look she gave him was enough to silence him.

Her fiancee blinked, wondering what exactly had set her so on edge. He said carefully, "Where's your Dunkirk spirit?! Who's got the door passwords?"

"They're randomly generated," the other man said helpfully. "Reckon I know most of 'em. Sorry. Riley Vashti."

"Right," the Doctor said, his tone authoritative as he crossed to Rose and gently took her from Martha. "Then what're you waiting for Riley Vashti, get on it."

"Well, it's a two-person job," Riley answered as he fetched what looked to be a huge magnetic clamp, and a huge backpack. "One, it takes to answer the questions, and the other to carry this." He put the kit on his back. "The oldest and cheapest security system around, eh captain?"

"Reliable and simple, just like you, eh Riley?" she snapped.

"Try and be helpful, get abuse. Nice! "

"I'll help you. Make myself useful," Martha volunteered, taking the clamp from him. She glanced back at the Doctor. "Keep an eye on her."

He nodded, frowning slightly. Why was Martha so worried about Rose?

"It's remotely controlled by computer panel. That's why it needs two," Riley explained as he turned and headed away from the group. Martha made to follow him.

The Doctor called with a serious expression, "Oi. Be careful."

To his surprise, she nodded at Rose. "You too."

She turned, and followed Riley away. Suddenly, a male voice came over the intercom.

"McDonnell? It's Ashton."

Captain McDonnell leapt back over to the intercom panel and snatched up the receiver. "Where are you? Is Korwin with you?"

The answer was deadly serious. "Get up to the med-centre NOW!"

McDonnell left the intercom and ran. The Doctor took Rose's hand and followed her. Outside the engine room, Martha and Riley were just setting up for their attempt at opening the doors, as they all ran past.

The electronic voice called out, "Impact in 34.31."

When they arrived in the med-centre, a man was thrashing about in agony on a bed, by what looked to be an MRI scanner, his eyes tight shut. A man and a woman are trying to restrain him.

"Argh! Stop it!" the man on the bed screaming, obviously in agony.

"Korwin! It's Abi! Open your eyes, I need to take a look at you!" the woman cried, trying to restrain him.

Captain McDonnell rushed to him. "Korwin! What's happened?! Is he OK?!"

The Doctor and Rose stopped at the foot of the bed.

Korwin thrashed violently. "Oh God! Help me! It's burning me!"

"He hears the screaming," Rose said sadly, causing the Doctor to look at her in some alarm.

"How long's he been like this?!" the Time Lord asked.

"Ashton just brought him in," Abi said.

The Doctor pulled his Sonic Screwdriver out, and began to scan Korwin.

The Captain panicked, "What are you doing?!"

Korwin gave another shriek of pain, and Rose winced.

The Doctor looked between Korwin and his fiancee. "Sonic impulse?"

"Don't be so stupid, that's my husband!" She pushed past Ashton and stood next to the screaming man's head.

Ashton snapped, "And he's just sabotaged our ship!"

"What?!" Captain McDonnell exclaimed.

"He went mad," the crew member explained. "He set the ship to secure closure, then he set the heat pulse to melt the controls."

She shook her head in disbelief. "No way! He wouldn't do that!"

"I saw it happen, Captain," Ashton said with a sense of finality.

The Doctor finished scanning Korwin, and tried to talk to him. "Korwin? Korwin, open your eyes for me a second. "

"No!" cried Rose, a wild look in her eyes.

"I can't!" the man screamed.

"Yeah, course you can. Go on," the Doctor urged.

"Don't make me look at you! Please!" Korwin plead.

Rose moved to touch the Doctor's arm. "Please, don't make him!" she exclaimed.

Frowning intensely, the Doctor moved down the bed again, and picked up a sort of dart gun off a tray. To both Korwin and Rose he said, "Alright, alright, alright. Just relax." He held the gun up to Abi. "Sedative?"

"Yes."

The Doctor pressed the gun up against Korwin's neck, and administered the sedative. Korwin gave one final shout, then fell silent and still. He replaced the gun on the tray then crossed his arms with a glance at Rose, who perched on the bed, watching the unconscious man with a look of immeasurable sadness. "Rising body temperature, unusual energy readings…" He pointed to the machine. "Stasis chamber. I do love a good stasis chamber. Keep him sedated in there. Regulate the body temperature."

Abi looked at him questioningly, but rushed to do what he says. Ashton also looked at him, out of breath from the struggle of restraining Korwin.

"And, just for fun, run a bio-scan and tissue profile on a metabolic detail," the Doctor added.

Abi glanced around. "Just doing them now."

He grinned at her. "Oh, you're good. Anyone else presenting these symptoms?" He tried not to look at Rose when he said it. He'd have to scan her, and he dreaded the thought of what he might find.

"Not so far," the medical officer replied.

"Well, that's something," he said with relief.

Captain McDonnell was continuing to stand by Korwin's bed, looking down at him. "Will someone tell me what is the matter with him?!"

"Some sort of infection. We'll know more after the test results. Now, Allons-y, back downstairs. Ay! See about those engines. Go," he ordered. Ashton made to leave, but McDonnell remained static. "Ay! Go."

She too left, reluctantly. The Doctor pulled Rose with him as he headed for the door. "Call us if there's news! Any questions?"

She gave a short laugh, not expecting an answer. "Yeah. Who are you?"

He had just left the room, but he stuck his head back through the plastic curtains at the door. "I'm the Doctor!"

They returned to the engine room with the captain and crew, the Doctor taking a moment to talk to Rose.

"Love, are you feeling all right?" he asked, still worried she might have picked up whatever was infecting the man upstairs.

"Doctor… how can you not hear it?" she asked him, her eyes sad.

The Doctor opened his mouth, then reached into his pocket for the sonic screwdriver. "Hear what, Rose?"

She shook her head. "I don't understand. None of you hear it. I don't know what it is if not even you can hear it."

"Rose, sweetheart, I need to scan you," he said with a heavy heart. "If you've contracted whatever Korwin has, our best hope is to catch it early."

She nodded. "Of course Doctor. But I'm not infected."

He began scanning her slowly, deep worry in his eyes. "I'm not going to lose you, Rose. I spent eight lives looking for you, and one trying to lie to myself about how important you are. I'm not giving that up now."

Rose reached up and cupped his cheek. "You won't lose me, Theta. Not to this. I'm not sick."

His scan showed her normal readings, not human, but not what Korwin had registered, either. "Then what's going on with you, Rose? What's happening?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. It's like… something reached out to me, begging for help. I can't really describe it any better than that."

He pulled her to him, kissing her forehead. Something was very, _very_ wrong here.

He settled her into a seat near him. Trying not to worry, and called Abi in the med-centre, "Abi, how's Korwin doing? Any results from the bio-scan?"

"He's under heavy sedation. I'm just trying to make sense of this data. Give me a couple of minutes and I'll let you know," the medical officer replied.

In another part of the ship, Martha and Riley were running down a corridor to their second sealed door. The Doctor called them over the intercom.

"Martha? Riley? How're you doing?"

"Area twenty-nine, at the door to twenty-eight!" Martha answered.

"You've gotta move faster!" he told them.

"We're doing our best!" she told him. "How's our girl?"

"Fine for now, you couldn't have warned me?"

"You were busy," Martha said, attaching her clamp.

The next question appeared on Riley's readout. Once again, he read the question aloud, "Find the next number in the sequence: 313, 331, 367… what?"

"You said the crew knew all the answers," she cried.

He groaned. "The crew's changed since we set the questions."

Staring at him in horror, she said, "You're joking…"

"379!" the Doctor said over the intercom.

"What?!" Martha cried.

"It's a sequence of happy primes. 379."

"Happy what?"

Now the Doctor snapped, "Just enter it!"

"Are you sure? We only get one chance!" Riley asked.

He sounded slightly annoyed when he spoke, words coming at his trademark 100mph. "Any number which reduces to one when you take the sum of the square of its digits and you continue iterating until it yields one is a happy number. Any number that doesn't, isn't. A happy prime is a number which is both happy and prime, now type it in! I dunno, talk about dumbing down! Don't they teach recreational mathematics any more?"

Riley typed in the answer the Doctor had given him. There was a slight build up, the lights on the clamp turned green, and the door opened.

"We're through!" Martha cried happily.

"Keep moving. Fast as you can. And, Martha, be careful. There may be something else on board this ship, I'm worried about Rose already."

She laughed, though she didn't sound amused at all. "Any time you wanna unnerve me, feel free!"

She could hear the slight smile as he said, "Will do, thanks."

Around them, they heard the computer announce, "Impact in 30. 50."

Martha and Riley were preparing the next door.

"I can't believe our lives depend on some stupid pub quiz! What's the next one?"

Riley put his head in his hands, sounding downtrodden as he moaned, "Oh, this is a nightmare! Classical music. Who had the most pre-download number ones, Eelvis Preesley or The Be-atles? How're we supposed to know that?"

The Doctor was peering searchingly at a piece of broken equipment, with the remaining crew standing around, watching him.

"We need a backup in case they don't reach the auxiliary engines in time. Come on! Think! Resources, what have we got?!" he asked them.

Martha came over the intercom. "Doctor?"

"What is it now?" he asked.

"Who had the most number ones, Elvis, or the Beatles. That's pre-download."

"Elvis. No! The Beatles! No! Wait! Um… um… Argh! What was that remix? Um… I don't know! Rose, your mum liked those two, do you know?"

Rose shook her head. "I haven't the slightest idea, Doctor. I could probably sing most of their songs, but you know I've no head for numbers."

"Martha, I haven't the foggiest notion," he sighed heavily. "A bit busy here."

"Fine. I'll ask someone else!" she said before signing off.

He shook his head. "Now, where was I? Here comes the sun. No, resources. So, the power's still working, the generator's going. If we can harness that.. ah!"

He looked excited as he met Captain McDonnell's eyes. She caught onto his thought immediately.

"Use the generator to jump-start the ship."

"Exactly! At the very least, it'll buy us some more time."

"That… is brilliant," the Captain said sincerely.

He grinned. "I know! See! Tiny glimmer of hope!"

He glanced to Rose, and she smiled at him. His hearts swelled at the sight. As long as Rose believed in him, he could do anything. After they escaped this, he was going to sit down with her and actually start planning their wedding.

"If it works," Scannell sneered.

Captain McDonnell looked at him ferociously. "Oh, believe me. You're gonna make it work."

Scannell stomped off, looking dejected. Ashton and the Doctor looked at McDonnell with respect, whilst still smiling.

"That told him!" the Doctor cheered her.

"Impact in 29.46."

"Is there any way to shut that blasted computer off?" he scowled, looking around.

The captain laughed. "Don't I wish."

Martha, at the sealed door, called her mother.

"Hello?" Francine answered.

She grinned, as this was the first time she'd tried the Doctor's handiwork on her phone. "Mum? It's me, it's Martha. Wow!"

Her mother snapped, obviously aggravated with her daughter, "Where are you? Don't you check your messages? I've been calling you."

"Actually, bit busy. Need you to do something for me," Martha rushed.

"No. Listen to me. We have to talk about this Doctor."

Exasperated, she threw up a hand. "Mum! Please not now! I need you to look something up on the internet!"

"Do it yourself. You've got a computer."

The sweaty woman shouted at the phone, "Oh just do it will you!" Both Riley and Martha looked stunned at what she had just done. She gave a slight laugh. "Please."

Her mother sounded justifiably cross. "When did you get so rude? I'll tell you when. Ever since you met that man. Is his fiancée as bad an influence on you? Does she know what sort of man he is? Because I've heard things."

"I need to know who had more number ones; the Beatles or Elvis?" Martha said, absolutely refusing to get into that discussion with her mother.

"Hang on. The mouse is unplugged." Martha barely covered the mouthpiece of the phone as she half screamed, half growled to illustrate her annoyance. "OK, I'm on. What is this? Pub quiz?"

Rolling her eyes, Martha said, "Yeah, a pub quiz."

"Using your mobile is cheating."

"Have you found it?!" she begged.

"There's over four hundred thousand results. Give me a minute."

Riley looked impatient. He started to say something, but the computer spoke first.

"Impact in 28.50."

The Doctor had moved over to Rose, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear, when Abi called him over the intercom.

"Doctor, these readings are starting to scare me."

He moved to the intercom, Rose following. "What d'you mean?"

"Well, Korwin's body's changing! His whole biological make-up, it… it's impossible."

The crew had stopped their work for a moment and were listening.

There were some background noises, then Abi's urgent voice. "This is med-centre. Urgent assistance requested. Urgent assistance!"

The Doctor looked at Rose with a shocked face, and he began to run for the infirmary, followed closely by Rose.

He shouted behind him to the crew, "Stay here! Keep working!"

McDonnell stopped what she was doing, and begin to follow him. Ashton and Scannell both looked at her as she went. Erina ran in the opposite direction to get to a communication station.

"Urgent assistance!" Abi cried.

"Abi. They're on their way," Erina promised.

Ashton and Scannell continued to look and listen as they worked. The Doctor, Rose, and the Captain could hear them all as they ran for the med centre.

"What's happening to you?"

A deep, threatening voice that obviously is not Korwin's own spoke, "Burn with me. Burn with me."

The Doctor suddenly slowed. It turned out that Scannell had followed them out of engineering.

"Captain?!" Scannell shouted.

The Doctor looked furious. "I told you to stay in engineering!"

He sneered. "I only take orders form one person round here."

The Doctor looked at the Captain. "Oh, is he always this cheery?"

Martha was holding the phone, staring at a terrified Riley with equal fear when her mother finally said, "Elvis."

"What?! Really? Elvis."

The man shook himself, turning to put the answer in. They could still hear what was happening in the med centre.

"Burn with me."

Abi was nearly crying in fright. "K... Korwin, you're sick…"

Riley typed in the answer to the question, when, in the med-centre, Korwin's voice took on an even more menacing tone. "Burn. With. Me!"

The door clicked open and the two ran for the next one. Martha was still on the phone to her mum.

"Mum, you're a star!"

Francine sounded as though she were tired of the game already. "Now, we need to have a serious…"

Suddenly, Abi was screaming over the intercom. Martha and Riley heard her and stop in their tracks. Even Francine heard it over the phone.

"What was that?" the woman asked, appalled.

Shakily, Martha murmured, "I've gotta go."

She put the phone down. Exchanging a terrified look with Riley, they rushed to an intercom to try to hail the Doctor.

"Doctor, what were those screams?" Martha begged.

"Concentrate on those doors! You've gotta keep moving forward!"

Nodding, they return to their task.

"Impact in 27.06."

The Doctor, Rose, and McDonnell burst through the plastic sheeting that acted as a door to the med-centre. Scannell was already there, looking round. They all noticed the bed where Korwin was now stood empty.

"Korwin's gone…"

"In more ways than one," Rose added cryptically, earning a curious look from the Doctor.

Scannell turned around, and stopped in his tracks, his derisive tone giving way to horror. "Oh my God…"

Both the Doctor and McDonnell turned to look in the same direction, and saw what Scannell had spotted – a charred, black shape on a wall, in the shape of a person with one hand in the air. They realised that this charred shape was once Abi. The Doctor walked towards it.

"Tell me that's not Lerner," Scannell begged.

"Endothermic vaporisation. I've never seen one this ferocious," the Doctor murmured thoughtfully.

" Burn with me," Rose murmured, causing the three people to turn and look at her in shock.

"That's what we heard Korwin say," the angry man gasped.

The Captain spluttered, "What?! D'you think… no way! Scannell, tell him! Korwin is not a killer! He can't vaporise people! He's human!"

The Doctor noticed something on the floor. He walked over, and picked up the x-rays and bioscan results that Abi had pulled on Korwin. He looked at them, suddenly weak with relief. This showed something wrong with Korwin that wasn't present in Rose at all. Whatever was happening to her, she wouldn't end up like this unfortunate man.

Softly, he told them, "His bioscan results… internal temperature, one hundred degrees! Body oxygen replaced by hydrogen! Your husband hasn't been infected, he's been overwhelmed!"

She snatched the bioscan results out of the Doctor's hand. "The test results are wrong!"

He looked around the med centre, frowning thoughtfully as he tried to work it out. "But what is it though? Parasite? Mutagenic virus? Something that needs a host body. But how did it get inside him?!"

The Captain was slightly hysterical as she shouted at him, "Stop talking like he's some kind of experiment!"

"He's trying to help," Rose told her, her tone far more compassionate than those of the men. "I'm so very sorry for what's happened, but if anyone can help, it's the Doctor."

"Where's the ship been? Have you made planet-fall recently? Docked with any other vessels? Any kind of external contact at all?" he asked, trying to work it out.

"What is this? An interrogation?!" the Captain snapped.

"We've got to stop him before he kills again," he explained, trying to be gentle.

"We're just… a cargo ship," She said shakily, turning away from the Doctor, looking distraught.

Scannell tried to comfort her, saying, "Doctor, if you give her a minute…"

Rose placed a hand on his arm, "Doctor. If it were me, you would need a moment to gather your thoughts."

He covered her hand, keeping his thoughts to himself. If it were Rose… it would take him more than a moment. It would take him the rest of time.

The Captain drew a shaky breath, pulling herself together. "I'm fine. I need to warn the crew. Everybody listen to me! Something has infected Korwin. We think… He killed Abi Lerner. None of you must go anywhere near him, is that clear?"

Rose frowned, listening to the response on the intercom.

Ashton spoke, "Understood Captain. Erina? Get back here with that equipment."

"No one should be alone, Doctor," Rose murmured.

The Captain frowned at the Doctor, asking seriously. "Is the infection permanent? Can you cure him?"

"I dunno," he replied evasively.

"Don't lie to me, Doctor. Eleven years we've been married. We chose this ship together. He keeps me honest. So I don't want false hope," she scowled.

Glancing at Rose, he shook his head. "The parasite's too aggressive. Your husband's gone. There's no way back. Sorry."

She nodded, quietly taking it all in. "Thank you."

Rose looked away, closing her eyes. Watching her with a worried expression for a brief moment, the Doctor suddenly seemed to spring into life again. He walked towards McDonnell. "Are you… certain nothing happened to provoke this? Nobody's working on anything secret, 'cause it's vital that you tell me."

"I know every inch of this ship. I know every detail of my crew's lives. There is nothing." She sounded so sure, so certain, but it didn't make sense.

The Doctor stares at her harshly, "Then why is this thing so interested in you?"

She sighed heavily, shaking her head slightly. "I wish I knew…"

Riley and Martha had made it to the door to area 17. They managed to open the door, burst through it, and ran for the next one. Martha knew what to do now, and so, without being asked, she was going to the doors and held the clamp up to it. Riley goes straight to the keypad.

"Doctor, we're through to area 17," Martha reported over the intercom.

Rose's voice returned. "Doctor's busy, Martha. Keep going. You've got to get to area one and reboot those engines. Also, thanks for worrying about me."

"Heat shield failing. At twenty percent," the computer announced.

Riley was having trouble getting the latest computer terminal to work. He hit the terminal. "Come on! Everything on this ship is so cheap!" Martha looked at him curiously. They both heard a bang, and looked in the direction it came from. "Who's there?! "

The banging continued, so they both put down their tools, and went to investigate. As they got closer to the door, through the smoke, they could make out a figure.

Martha moved closer to Riley, asking in a frightened tone, "Is that Korwin?"

"No, wait a minute…" Riley paused, as the figure came forward, and he was wearing a space helmet, however, Riley recognised him. "Oh, Ashton, what're you doing?"

In a deeper, similar voice to Korwin. "Burn with me."

He hesitated, uncertain. "Well, if you wanna help…"

"Burn with me! Burn with me!"

Ashton's hand moved up, to remove the eye shield. Riley and Martha realised that Ashton had been possessed.

The medical student jerked away, slapping the button that opened a nearby door. "Move! Come on!"

She entered a small room, and cowered in the far corner. Riley followed her, and, next to them, punched the keypad that would close the door. The door slid shut. Once the door was fully closed, Riley and Martha heaved a sigh of relief. They saw Ashton's helmet through the porthole, and he began to pound on the door. Riley pressed another combination on the keypad that opened a hatch next to them; an escape pod. They climbed inside, and shut the door.

"What is happening on this ship?!" Riley cried.

Martha looked around them. "Never mind that. Where are we?"

"Airlock sealed. Jettison escape pod."

Martha felt a sinking feeling. "That doesn't mean us?

Riley didn't answer, merely lunged for the keypad and began furiously tapping codes.

She couldn't help it. She panicked. And screamed. "Doctor!"

"Pod jettison initiated."

Riley was frantically typing on the keypad inside the pod. Outside the airlock, Ashton stood, watching. The small screen by the keypad showed the status of the pod – 'Jettison initiated.' Martha tried the small communications unit, next to where Riley was working.

"Doctor!" she shouted. "We're stuck in an escape pod off the area seventeen airlock. One of the crew's trying to jettison us! You've gotta help us!" She released the comm and looked at Riley desperately. "Tell me you can stop it."

In engineering, the Doctor was looking at something on a screen, Rose behind him. McDonnell and Scannell were watching him.

"Why is this happening?" the Captain cried in frustration.

"Stay here! I mean it this time!" the Doctor shouted as he ran for the corridor, holding Rose's hand tightly. "Jump start those engines!"

In the escape pod, Riley was still frantically trying to reverse the jettisoning process.

"Jettison held," the computer said and both Riley and Martha heaved a sigh of relief.

"Thank you…" Riley moaned, sagging in relief.

Outside the pod, Ashton used his keypad to restart the process.

"Jettison reactivated."

Martha screamed in terror and began to hit the door wildly. Behind her, Riley once again started tapping as quickly on the keypad as he was able. "Come on…"

Ashton was entering something else into his keypad. It was becoming a race of who could type the fastest. Inside the pod, Riley came up with an idea.

"Geovinsci sequence. This'll get him."

As Ashton continued to try and jettison the pod, the screen readout changed.

"Jettison held. Escape pod stabilised," announced the electronic voice.

Both Riley and Martha breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're pretty good," Martha said quietly.

Outside the airlock, Ashton was once again typing something into the keypad.

The Doctor and Rose were running at full pelt, trying to get to Martha on time.

In the escape pod, Riley was tapping to keypad, but outside, just as quickly, Ashton was following suit. Suddenly, the Doctor appeared through the door from area 17.

"That's enough!" he shouted, causing Ashton to turn and look at him. "What do you want? Why this ship? Tell me!"

Rose came through the door behind him, and Ashton hesitated before turning and putting his fist through the keypad.

"No!" she cried. "You didn't have to do that!"

Inside the pod, a series of sirens began to sound, and the computer gave a warning. "Jettison activated."

"He's smashed the circuit. I can't stop it!" Riley cried, turning to Martha as he began to panic. "I can't stop it!"

The Doctor and Ashton were at a stand-off, while the pod was preparing to jettison. Rose darted around the former crew member, but the creature ignored her, shocking the Doctor for just a moment. He recovered quickly and addressed Ashton.

"Come on. Let's see you. I wanna know what you really are…"

Standing nose to nose with him now, Ashton lifted his hand to his visor. Suddenly, the possessed man was overcome, doubled up and backed away from the Doctor. It only lasted only a few seconds, before he stood upright again, headed straight for the Time Lord. Rose, aware that the pod is getting closer and closer to jettisoning, turned and shouted at the Doctor.

"We have a problem!"

"Airlock sealed," the computer announced.

Instead of resuming his attack on the Doctor, Ashton jostled past him, and headed out of area 17. The Doctor skidded over to the nearest comm. unit.

"McDonnell! Ashton's heading in your direction. He's been infected, just like Korwin!"

"Korwin's dead, Doctor," the voice of Scannell replied.

Inside the pod, Martha was still hopelessly tapping on the porthole. "This thing's locked!"

Over the siren, the computer gives another warning, "Airlock decompression completed. Jettisoning pod."

"No!" screamed Rose, pounding the airlock door.

The Doctor looked up, realizing that Martha was still inside. He shot over to the airlock door, where he could see Martha, just a few feet away, tapping on the glass, and calling his name, although he could hear nothing.

"We'll save you!" he shouted, promising her and his fiancée.

Riley, resigned to his fate, put a hand on her back, "Martha, it's too late."

Martha ignored him, and continued to shout and tap on the window, "Doctor! Rose!"

He was shouting something back… but through the doors… "I can't hear you!"

As the pod disengaged, Martha saw him mouth the words 'We'll save you!' over and over, as he got smaller and smaller. She sobbed, distraught. The pod slowly moved out into space, and toward the sun.

"Oh God… no…"

Frantic, the Doctor was looking around for an answer, a way to get their friend back, while Rose covered her face and tried not to cry.

"Rose, darling, I'll fix this. We won't let her go."

"I know," she sniffed. "I know."

He moved over to the comm. again, shouting into it, "Scannell! I need a spacesuit in area 17, now!"

"What for?"

The Doctor was crouched by the comm. unit, watching a tear fall slowly down Rose's cheek, and suddenly he looked and sounded incredibly angry and frustrated. He yelled at the top of his voice, "Just get down here!"

He moved over to hug Rose to him, kissing her on the forehead.

"You're going outside the ship," she said, holding him tight.

"It's the only way to get them back with the panel busted and the engines down."

"Just fix it quickly and get back in here," she told him, staring at him intently. "Don't look around. Don't stay out there any longer than you have to."

He kissed her just as Scannell showed up with the suit. "I promise you, Rose."

The Doctor dressed quickly in a space suit, Scannell trying to talk him out of whatever he had planned.

"I can't let you do this."

"You're wasting your breath, Scannell," Rose said. "You're not gonna stop him."

"I can't believe you're supporting this madness," the man snapped at her. Turning to the Doctor, he continued, "You wanna open an airlock in flight on a ship spinning into the sun. No-one can survive that!"

"Oh, just you watch," the Time Lord smirked.

"You open that airlock, it's suicide. This close to the sun, the shields will barely protect you."

The Doctor tried to explain, "If I can breach the magnetic lock on the ship's exterior, it should remagnetise the pod. Now, while I'm out there, you have got to get the rest of those doors open. We need those auxiliary engines."

"Doctor, will you listen! They're too far away, it's too late!" the man half yelled in exasperation.

"We're not gonna lose her," the Doctor said seriously. "My Rose has lost enough, and Martha deserves better than that."

He completed his outfit by putting his helmet on and walked past Scannell to the airlock door, which slid open. He walked inside, looking intense. Out the window in the exterior door, the sun blazed. Rose watched him, afraid.

"Decompression, initiating. Impact in 12. 55. Heat shield failing. At ten percent."

The Doctor pressed a button on a keypad, which opened the exterior door. He recoiled slightly from the heat and brightness of the sun, but soon recovered, grabbed hold of the frame, and, battling against the vacuum, began to clamber out onto the outer hull of the ship. He was almost swept away a couple of times, before he got himself in the right position, and swung his hand out to try and reach a column of buttons, just to the right of the airlock. He missed the first time, but continued to stretch out, trying to get there.

"Come on! Go on my son!"

He still had more work to do, and tried to reach the box just to the right of the buttons. Rose's voice suddenly came over his personal comm.

"Doctor! How're you doing?"

He grunted, stretching as far as he could to reach the handle that will open the box. "I can't! I can't reach! I don't know how much longer I can last!"

"Come on, love! Don't give up now! I believe in you."

Her words seemed to boost the Doctor, and he continued to stretch, finally managing to grab the handle and yank the cover off of the box. Inside was a lever, that with a scream of pain and strength, the Doctor grabbed hold of, and tried with all his might to pull down, and barely did.

As the Doctor struggled back inside the airlock, the pod slowly but sure headed back to its docking point, with Martha and Riley looking excitedly out of the porthole. The Doctor, even though he was now inside, clambers to his knees, so he could see over the bottom lip of the airlock, and out to the sun. He looked confused and frightened, as the light reflected intensely off his helmet, and seeing the swirling molten surface.

"It's alive… It's alive?... It's alive!"

Rose was looking out at him, "Oh no, Doctor. I told you not to!" She called over the comm. "Doctor, close the airlock now! The pod's gonna smash into you!"

The Doctor literally fell out of the airlock back into the corridor of the spaceship, still on his knees. Rose was beside him in a moment, hugging him gently. Martha and Riley clambered out of the escape pod, and ran to them, as the Doctor writhed with pain on the floor.

"Doctor! Doctor! Rose, what's happened, is he OK?" their friend asked in fright.

The three of them flipped him over, trying to help him sit up. He opened his eyes for a brief moment, and a blindingly white light shone from within.

He gasped, sounding angry and fierce, "Stay away from me!"

He closed his eyes again, and continued to writhe with pain. Martha quickly did what he said, and backed away, but Rose couldn't.

"Oh my Doctor… why did you stare into it?" she asked softly.

"Get back, Rose!" he begged.

Behind them, McDonnell appeared. "What's happened?"

The Doctor groaned, "It's your fault, Captain McDonnell!

She looked shocked, but quickly regained composure. Pointing away from them, she snapped, "Riley! Get down to area 10 and help Scannell with the doors. Go!"

Riley did as she said.

The man on the floor was struggling to stand, clinging to Rose even though he'd told her to get away from him. "You mined that sun! Stripped its surface for cheap fuel! You should have scanned for life!"

Rose blinked in realization. "Oh no! The screaming! That's the source!"

"I don't understand," Captain McDonnell stammered.

"Doctor, what are you talking about?!" Martha asked, confused.

He jerked in pain, gasping and shouting, "That sun is alive! A living organism! They scooped out its heart, used it for fuel, and now it's screaming!"

Rose winced, the screaming in her mind was so much louder now that it had a source so close. Martha almost whimpered.

The Captain was on the verge of panic, "What do you mean? How can a sun be alive? Why's he saying that?!"

"Because it's living in him," Rose said sadly.

The Captain groaned in horror at what she'd done, "Oh my god…"

"Humans! You grab whatever's nearest and bleed it dry! You should have scanned!" he screamed.

She shook her head, desperate for him to understand. "It takes too long! We'd be caught! Fusion scoops are illegal."

The Doctor screamed again in agony. "You've got to freeze me, quickly!"

"What?!" Martha cried, moving back to his side.

"Stasis chamber! You gotta keep me… below minus 200. Freeze it out of me! It'll use me to kill you if you don't! The closer we get to the sun, the stronger it gets! Med-centre! Quickly! Quickly!"

Rose and Martha both looked at the Captain in complete disgust. She'd endangered all of them just to save a little money. They dragged the Doctor toward the med centre.

"Help us!" Martha shouted at the dumbfounded captain.

As they broke through the plastic on the doorway, he screamed again. Martha ran forward to the stasis chamber, and grabbed the instruction manual. Rose and the Captain tried to get the Doctor onto the bed.

"I can do this!" Martha said softly.

He reached out blindly, "Martha, where are you?!"

"It's alright! I'm here! It's me! Here I am! Stasis chamber, minus 200, yeah?" the medical student said, grabbing his hand.

The Captain shook her head, "No, you don't know how this equipment works! You'll kill him! Nobody can survive those temperatures!"

"He's not human! If he says he can survive, then he can," Rose snapped.

"Let me help you then!" the Captain exclaimed.

"You've done enough damage," the blonde woman snarled, brushing the Doctor's hair back.

Martha went back to working out how the chamber worked.

"Ten seconds. That's all I'll be able to take. No more!" he told them before screaming again. "Rose!"

She kissed his temple. "I'm here, love. I'm here. Martha's going to fix you right up."

"It's burning me up, Rose. I can't control it. If you don't get rid of it, I could kill you. I could kill you all." The Doctor screamed, sounding like a child, genuinely frightened. "I'm scared! I'm so scared!"

Rose laid him down, crying silently. Martha saw, a couple tears of her own leaking out.

"Just… stay calm," their companion said, trying to convince them. "You saved me, now I return the favour. Just… just believe in me."

He howled in pain, "It's bloody killing me! Then what'll happen?!"

"That's enough! We've got you!" Rose said, trying to calm him.

"There's this process. This… this thing… that happens… if I'm about to die…" he tried to explain.

"Shhh… quiet now. Cause that is not gonna happen. You ready?" Martha asked.

"No!"

Looking upset, Martha left his side, and pushed the lever that slid the Doctor back into the stasis chamber. She typed in '200', and pressed the button to start the process. Inside, the Doctor screamed continuously, while Rose stood outside, sobbing. Martha watched as the readout showed the temperature inside the machine rapidly dropping.

When the stasis chamber hit minus 70 degrees, but then shut off. The Doctor was still whimpering in the background. Martha and McDonnell looked shocked. Inside the stasis chamber, the Doctor was covered in ice crystals.

"No! Martha you can't stop it! Not yet!"

"What's happened?!" Rose asked desperately.

The Captain was checking the readout nearby. "Power's been cut in engineering."

"But who's down there?" Martha asked.

"Leave it to me," Captain McDonnell said grimly as she left the med centre.

Martha watched as McDonnell ran from the room. Behind her, the Doctor let out another round of screams. She and Rose exchanged worried looks as the computer announced their remaining time.

"Impact in 4.47."

Martha tried to get the stasis chamber working again. "Come on! You're defrosting."

The Doctor screamed out again before speaking, "Martha! Listen! I've only got a moment. You've gotta go! You have to get Rose away from me."

"I'm not leaving you!" his fiancée argued.

"Get to the front! Vent the engines! Sun particles in the fuel! Get rid of them!" he begged.

"Doctor, we can still do this," Martha tried.

"No!" he gasped in agony. "You've got to! Give back what they took! Take Rose where I can't…aagh!"

"Doctor!" the black woman cried.

"Please! Go!"

Martha grabbed Rose's arm. "We'll be back for you."

"No!" Rose shouted. "Martha, don't. Let me stay with him!"

"We're his only chance, Rose. I'm sorry, but you're coming with me."

She drug her friend from the room and the two of them raced toward Scannell and Riley. They heard the Captain's apology, and the announcement that the exterior door had opened, realizing she'd taken Korwin out of the airlock to save them. Still they ran. Then they heard the Doctor.

"Rose!"

She stopped running when she heard him, looking at Martha with heartbreak.

"What's he doing?" Martha said. "He told me to get you out."

"I can't fight it. Give it back or…" His voice dropped horrifyingly. "Burn with me. Burn with me, Rose!"

Martha realized that the Doctor had been taken over, and so forced Rose to continue running. She was crying again, but ran alongside her friend.

Scannell and Riley heard this over the intercom, but kept working, trying to get the last door open. They finally succeeded as Rose and Martha met up with them.

Martha launched straight into giving them the Doctor's instructions. "Vent the engines. Dump the fuel."

Both Riley and Scannell looked questioningly at her.

"What?" Scannell exclaimed.

"Sun particles in the fuel. Get rid of them. Do it. Now!"

The men sprang into action. They headed to two practically identical walls, and began turning dials, which in turn released the fuel.

Rose hugged herself, murmuring, "Come on Doctor, hold on."

Once all the dials had been turned, one of the men twisted the 'fuel dispersal' dial, which caused the ship to lurch, and them all to be flung about. However, the readout showed that the fuel was successfully leaking out of the bottom of the ship. As Martha and Rose held on, and the Doctor continued to scream, the ship's fuel fell back into the sun, causing the Doctor's eyes to stop glowing. He collapsed onto his back, his eyes returned to normal, though he was still in a lot of pain. As more and more fuel was released, the lurching got more and more violent, until Martha was thrown from where she stood, and Rose blinked, her eyes now gold in her desperation to help the two people closest to her.

"There! How're we gonna fly?!" Scannell asked, catching sight of Rose. "Aww hell… is she gone mad too?"

Martha scrambled to her feet, lunging toward Rose. Grabbing the other woman's hands, she spoke quickly and calmly. "I'm okay, Rose. Look at me. Save that for if the Doctor needs us. Come on, Rose… calm down and control it…"

Taking a few deep breaths, the gold faded, leaving only worried hazel eyes.

"Impact averted. Impact averted."

Riley was breathing heavily, Scannell crouching, ready to run. Deciding it was best to not mention the glowing woman just yet, he focused on the more pressing matter.

"We're clear! We've got just enough reserves."

With beaming smiles, Scannell and Riley embraced, easily forgetting Rose's abnormality. Martha smiled for a few seconds, but realized the other woman had gone missing.

"Doctor…" she murmured.

Rose was sprinting down the hall. As she ran toward him, the Doctor, looking slightly worse for wear, pulled himself to his feet. When she reaches him, she pulled him into a hug. He lifted her clean off the ground, weak as he was, and they both shared a giggle of happiness.

"You're safe, you're safe," she murmured, kissing him.

He grinned. "Thanks to Martha."

Martha happened to arrived just then and the pair pulled her into their hug.

"You, Martha Jones, are my hero," Rose told her sincerely.

Before long, as the ship flew through space, everything had returned to normal on the inside, apart form the distinct lack of crew members. Riley and Scannell stood in the vent chamber with the Doctor, Rose, and Martha, admiring the TARDIS. The Doctor and Rose walked round it, checking to see that she's OK. After all, to some she was just a ship, to those two, she was home.

"This is never your ship!" Scannell laughed.

The Doctor replied good naturedly, "Compact! Eh! And another good word, robust! Barely a scorch mark on her."

"And she's fixing those even now. Good on you, girl," Rose added, patting the panels fondly.

Martha looked at the Doctor. "We can't just leave them drifting with no fuel."

Riley shook his head. "We've sent out an official mayday. The authorities will pick us up soon enough."

"Though how we explain what happened…" Scannell said worriedly.

The Doctor shrugged as he opened the TARDIS door. "Just tell them. That sun needs care and protection, just like any other living thing."

Scannell nodded and watched as Rose smiled at them, the Doctor ushering her into the TARDIS, following her closely. Martha made to follow him, but before she could do so, Riley grabbed her arm.

"So… uh, you're off then. No chance I'll see you again?"

She shook her head. "Not really. It was nice… not dying with you." They both laughed a bit. "I reckon you'll find someone worth believing in."

He stared at her for a long moment. "I think I already did."

Unsure of what to do for a second, Martha decided, and launched herself onto Riley, kissing him. He was very pleasantly surprised and Scannell shook his head as he looked on.

As they parted, Martha smiled. "Well done. Very hot."

Riley gave a little laugh as Martha stepped into the TARDIS, and shut the door. As she walk up the ramp to the centre console, she was beaming.

"So! Didn't really need you in the end, did we?!" she teased the Doctor.

He shook his head and she noticed that he was holding rather tightly to Rose, who didn't seem willing to let him go any time soon either.

"What do you say? Ice skating on the mineral lakes of Cuhlhan. Fancy it?" he asked by way of avoiding the discussion.

Instead of smiling, Martha looks worried. "Whatever you like."

Rose nudged him with an expectant look.

He blinked and felt around in his pocket. "Oh! By the way, you'll be needing this."

He pulled a TARDIS key on a long chain out.

Martha gaped at them. "Really?!"

"Frequent Flier's Privilege," Rose said with a smile.

He slowly fed it into her hand, and looked at her properly. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," she grinned. Her face clouded as she felt around for her phone. "Oh no! Mum!"

The Doctor looked at Rose as their companion dialed. Rose shook her head, nuzzling against him as Martha spoke to her mother.

"Me again! … Sorry about earlier. Over emotional, mad day! … Yeah! Tonight. Do my best. Um, just remind me, what day is it again? ... Right. Course. I'll be round for tea. Roughly… Anyway, gotta go! See you later! Love you!"

Martha hung up, shaking her head with a smile. "Remind me I'm due for tea at Mum's on election day," she said to her friends. "Now… ice skating?"

Rose laughed. "I think nap first. Then ice skating."

The medical student sagged a bit at the mention of a nap. She hadn't realized how very draining this latest adventure had been. "Oh, a nap sounds perfect about now."

"I happen to agree," the Doctor laughed, putting the TARDIS on auto for the moment. "Martha, check in that supply closet that I've got skates before we all pop off though."

She nodded and headed to the door he indicated, opening it and bursting into laughter.

"What?" Rose asked curiously.

"You won't believe this," Martha called back. "It's the bloody library!"

_A/N: Well, there you go! Please review because, as we all know, I live for your comments! Besides, I'm sick. Make a sick woman feel better and take the time to click the happy little button._


	10. 0308 Human Nature

_A/N: Here it is! My favorite episode of season three, only with our favorite heroine! Enjoy!_

Season Three: "Human Nature"

"Ice skating was fun," Rose said as the three travelers returned to the TARDIS, "but Cuhlhan wasn't exactly pretty, was it?"

Martha shook her head in agreement. "Not really."

"Well the Diforians strip mined the entire planet three millenium before, triggering an unending ice age that froze the entire surface. It just floats around their sun covered in ice now," the Doctor explained, tossing the ice skates back into the closet.

Rose laughed fondly. "What we're trying to say, love, is that Martha and I want to go somewhere with beautiful scenery."

He grinned and kissed her cheek before whispering, "That's easy. I find that wherever you are."

She blushed and giggled, but Martha shook her head. "Oi, lovebirds. We need a destination, maybe? One that doesn't include your bedroom?"

The Doctor grinned and winked at the woman. "How about... the banana groves of Villengard?"

The two women cheered and the Doctor moved to the controls.

"Too bad Jack couldn't come with us," Rose commented, causing her fiancée to inwardly flinch. He still didn't know how to explain that to her.

"Who's Jack?" Martha asked as she and Rose made themselves comfortable near the Doctor.

"Oh you would love Jack," the other woman explained brightly. "Not nearly as much as he loves himself, but very few could love like that."

He frowned to himself. He absolutely had to talk to Rose about the whole Jack situation.

They arrived without incident, but when they exited the TARDIS, it was not into a banana grove. It was the center of a factory compound. A weapons factory compound.

"Well... I'd say we're a bit early for harvest, yeah?" Rose joked, looking at him with that loving trust that never failed to take his breath away.

He moved to kiss her when they heard the priming of weapons. "You three! Come with us!"

They were taken to the main offices, where they tried to explain that their arrival was a simple miscalculation, and they didn't want weapons of any kind. An alarm went off, warning the people in the factory of an attack.

They all ran out to see who was attacking, but the Doctor took one look and panicked. He turned Martha and Rose right around and ran for the TARDIS. The gunfire seemed to follow them, and they quickly realized the attackers were coming after them.

The Doctor began swearing colorfully, in several languages. "Keep running! We have to get to the TARDIS!"

They ran, dodging explosions and ducking fire until they found their ship, flinging the doors open in some kind of desperation. Behind them, someone tossed a kind of grenade in just before the doors shut. Rose screamed, dragging both the Doctor and Martha to the floor as a golden shield grew around them. The explosion was dampened by the TARDIS, but there was still a fair amount of damage done. The central console was sparking crazily as they started to pick themselves up off the floor. The Doctor leapt to his feet, reaching to the two women, grabbing their hands and pulling them both up, then eye to eye.

"Did they see you?" he asked them in desperation.

"I don't know!" Martha cried, as Rose doubled over in pain.

"Did they see you?" he focused on Rose, helping her to the Captain's chair.

She shook her head, wincing in pain. "I don't know, love, I was too busy running!"

Swearing again, he turned to their companion, forcing his tone to a calmer one. "Martha, it's important - did they see your face?"

She thought about it. She and Rose had been turned around before she'd even seen what was there. "No, they couldn't have!"

He ran round the console and started manipulating the controls.

"Off we go! Check Rose, please!"

Martha checked Rose, who shook her head. "I wasn't hurt, it's the TARDIS. I feel her pain through that connection. She's trying to shield me, but she's going to need a nice long rest to recouperate."

"Ahhh!" the Doctor cried, focusing on a screen that was flashing in mauve. "They're following us."

"How can they do that," Martha asked incredulously, "you've got a time machine."

"Stolen technology, they've got a Time Agent's vortex manipulator. They can follow us wherever we go, right across the universe-" He paused, looking at Rose. "They're never going to stop."

He ran a hand through his hair nervously and stared at the screen once more; then an idea came to him.

"Unless...I'll have to do it..."

Rose looked up at him in alarm from his tone. "Do what?"

He didn't look at his fiancee for the time, focusing on their companion. "Martha, you trust me don't you?"

"Of course I do," she answered without hesitation

"Cause it all depends on you."

"What does?" Rose asked, beginning to panic. "Doctor, what does?!"

He doves into the storage area below the console to retrieve something, while the two women watched on in terrified confusion.

"What does, what am I supposed to do?" Martha asked him.

He reappeared holding an ornate pocket watch aloft. "Take this watch, 'cause my life, and Rose's life, depend on it. The watch, Martha- The watch is-"

A man was lying in a bed sporting a pair of blue striped pyjamas. His eyes flicked open suddenly, and he sat up in a state of panic. He blinked in confusion a few times, and stared wildly about an ornate Victorian room, wood panelling and framed paintings. After a couple of seconds, he pushed himself to sit up, feet on the floor. As he rubbed his eyes, he heard a knock. Shortly after, there was the sound of a door opening.

"Come in," he called, rubbing his face.

A young black woman entered, wearing a Victorian maid's uniform and carrying a tray of breakfast. As she saw the man sitting on his bed, her eyes widened and she turned back.

"Pardon me, Mr Smith, you're not dressed yet. I can come back later-" she said quickly, moving to leave as he stood, pulling and tying a dressing gown around himself.

"No, it's alright, it's alright. Put it down," the man said, shaking his head to rid himself of the dream. They always started so pleasantly, then descended into horror. And... the maid, she had been there!

Martha walked to the small table in the middle of the room and set the tray down, keeping her eyes lowered. He watched her thoughtfully.

"I was, um... Sorry, sorry. Sometimes I have these extraordinary dreams."

She crossed to the window and pulled the curtains open. "What about, sir?"

He shook his head, sitting to his breakfast. "I dream I'm this... Adventurer. This...daredevil, a madman. 'The Doctor', I'm called, with a beautiful blonde woman ever at my side. And last night I dreamt that you were there, as my... companion."

Martha crossed back to the tray on the table so set it up properly. The man's eyes had been following her across the room.

"A teacher and a housemaid and some woman you dreamed up, sir? That sounds a little impossible."

He sighed, standing and pacing a bit. "Ah no, a man from another world, though... and the woman... I can see her face so clearly..."

"Well it can't be true because there's no such thing," Martha said firmly.

He moved to the fireplace and looked at the mantle- where the watch he'd had in his dream was sitting.

"This thing... The watch..." he mused, picking it up. After holding it for a second he replaced it on the mantle with another sigh. "Ah, it's funny how dreams slip away. But I do remember one thing; it all took place in the future. In the year of Our Lord two thousand and seven."

The maid smiled a bit as he returned to his breakfast. "I can prove that wrong for you sir, here's the morning paper. It's Monday, November tenth, nineteen thirteen, and you're completely human, sir. As human as they come."

"Mmm, that's me; completely human," he nodded, sipping his tea and smiling back at her.

After she'd finished, Martha headed to the kitchen. "I'm off to the market for Cook. Jenny, you need anything?"

Another maid, a heavier woman with a soft smile, looked up from her work. "Nah, I'm well enough Martha. Might check with Matron though. She's always needing something."

Martha smiled and bid her goodbye. After checking with the Matron, who did need a few things, she was off. But it wasn't to market that she headed right away. Her first stop was a rather run down barn, and a narrow blue box.

"Rose? You in here?" she called, entering the box which was much bigger on the inside.

"I'm here, Martha," the blonde woman replied, coming out of a hall. "Just sitting around, missing him and going crazy."

"Oh honey, that's actually what I came to talk to you about. I think we're going to have to bring you out of hiding."

Rose shook her head. "He said that me being away from the TARDIS was dangerous while it's powered down like this."

Martha groaned. "Yeah well, so's him being hit on by some woman. He might not know it, but he misses you so much right now, if she keeps it up, he might just fall for her."

"Who's going after my Doctor?" the blonde asked, a bit possessive about the Doctor.

"Matron Joan Redfern," Martha answered with a sigh. "She's a very proper woman of the time, but she's all sorts of interested in one John Smith."

Rose gave a little growl. "Well, she can't have him. Let me change, and we'll think of a story…"

Martha nodded happily. She'd missed having Rose around to talk to. The maids and such were nice, but she and Rose had been through a lot and had grown close. They made a plan and were soon at the school, where they were told that the Matron and Headmaster were in a meeting and couldn't be disturbed just then. Rose, being easy-going, stood in the hall talking to Martha and Jenny while they did their work.

The two women were on their hands and knees scrubbing the tiled second floor, and Jenny looked scandalized when the stranger, who had been introduced as 'Lady Rose' offered to help. Rose laughed but didn't ask again. Before long, Professor Smith walked past, head completely buried in a large book, making Rose and Martha both smile. Their eyes followed him as he passed.

"Morning, Sir," Martha grinned, glancing at Rose who was beaming at the man, but obviously trying not to. That was when the black woman remembered that they hadn't seen each other in over a month.

Without looking up, he slowed down a little and answered distractedly, "Yes, hi." He moved downstairs.

"Head in the clouds, that one," Jenny grinned. "Don't know why everyone is so sweet on him."

"Everyone?" Rose asked, looking at the two curiously.

"He's just kind, that's all. Not everyone's that considerate, what with me being—" She pointed to her face.

Jenny grinned, "A Londoner?"

Rose frowned a bit, wondering if people were mean to her friend. Two senior boys walked over the area the girls were cleaning, and looked back as the girls laughed.

"Ah, now then, you two," one of the boys said authoritatively.

The women stopped laughing and looked up. Rose took a step back to observe the students.

"You're not paid to have fun, are you? Put a little backbone into it," he said with a sneer.

"Yes Sir, sorry, Sir," Jenny said immediately, ducking her head to scrub again.

The other boy looked at the darker skinned woman. "You there, what's your name again?"

"Martha, Sir. Martha Jones," she answered, careful to remain respectful.

"Tell me then, Jones. With hands like those, how can you tell when something's clean?"

Rose stepped forward again, her dress and bearing immediately identifying her as a woman of some stature and rearing. "Are you two quite finished behaving boorishly? Or shall I check back in case you wish to kick the women who work so hard to keep this building together for ungrateful children such as yourself?"

The boys blanched, looking both furious at the chiding and embarrassed that a well bred woman was obviously disgusted with their behavior.

The boys hurried away, and Martha looked up at her friend.

"That was… amazing, Rose!" she crowed. "Did you see the little swots?!"

"Careful now," Jenny cautioned. "Don't let them hear you answer back. And you ought to address her as 'Lady Rose' in case someone hears!"

Rose laughed. "Oh Jenny, you worry too much." She turned around in a wide circle.

"You might want to be careful," Martha warned her.

"Why's that?" Rose asked, turning and taking a step back to balance herself.

Professor Smith was heading back to the stairs, overloaded with a stack of books as the nurse exited her meeting with the headmaster and approached the upper staircase.

"The stairs," Martha answered, shaking her head.

"What about the stairs?" Rose asked, grinning.

"They're right behind you," Jenny pointed out.

Rose turned to see and overbalanced, falling backwards down the stairs. She tumbled straight down into the professor and sent the books flying. The nurse saw from the top floor and gasped, rushing down as Martha jumped up and ran down as well.

"John!" Joan cried out in alarm.

He was extracting himself from under the woman and books. "What happened?"

"Oh my God, is she OK?" Martha asked worriedly.

"Who is she?" the nurse asked, turning the woman over and brushing hair out of her face.

John couldn't breathe when her face was revealed. This was Rose! The woman from his dreams. He would know her anywhere. He could barely keep himself from reaching out to touch her face. He looked at Martha. She seemed to know the woman.

Martha shook her head, so overcome with her fear that she couldn't speak. Jenny stood at the top of the stairs.

"That's Lady Rose," she supplied helpfully. "She met Martha in town. A horse threw her and she was coming to ask the headmaster for help getting home."

"Well, now she needs medical attention," the nurse said with a scowl. She didn't like the way John was looking at the girl, but she had to get her to the infirmary. "John, I know it's a lot to ask, but could you perhaps carry her for me?"

John blushed a deep red. "I suppose I could help you out."

He carefully scooped the unconscious woman up, carrying her carefully to the infirmary. He couldn't imagine how it was possible that she felt absolutely perfect in his embrace, how his heart seemed to jump into his throat and plummet to his stomach at the same time. He'd always been the picture of self control… why was he having so much trouble keeping himself from kissing her?

He reluctantly laid her on one of the sick beds, hovering nearby.

The nurse checked over her, opening her eyes and looking for signs of concussion. Martha stood near the door, watching worriedly.

"Ohh…" the unconscious woman moaned as she began to stir.

"Here we are," Joan smiled. "She's waking up."

John stepped forward, wondering to himself if her eyes would be the beautiful hazel he dreamed about every night.

"Who are you?" the woman asked, looking at Joan. "Where in the world am I?"

Her voice… it was wonderfully and impossibly the same.

"What do you mean, where are you?" Martha asked, moving forward. "Don't you remember?"

Joan frowned at Martha's forwardness.

The woman sat up, looking alarmed. "I don't remember anything… who are you all? What am I doing… here…"

Her hazel eyes connected with the brown eyes of John Smith, and they both stared in shock. She asked him softly, "Do I… know you?"

He stepped closer. "I don't think… that is, not as such…"

"Lady Rose," Joan said, interrupting them, pointedly ignoring the exasperated look Martha was giving her. "You've had a fall. Are you having memory problems now?"

Rose scowled at the nurse. "Hard to have problems with something I don't rightly have, yeah?"

Martha groaned, Joan sighed, and John moved to the woman's side.

"It's going to be all right," he said softly, taking her hand. "I promise you. I will take care of you."

Rose's breath caught. "You will… you promise?"

Just then the door burst open and the Headmaster strode in. "So this is the Lady Rose, come to seek aide of our school," he said, prepared to receive and give assistance to a member of the gentry.

"I…" Rose hesitated, blinking rapidly at the man.

"Headmaster, it seems while waiting for her audience with you, the Lady Rose fell down the stairs and injured herself. She appears to have lost her memory," Joan explained to him, her tone somewhat disbelieving.

"I fell down stairs?" the woman on the bed asked incredulously. "How did I do that?"

"We were talking, Lady Rose," Martha said, stepping forward. "I tried to warn you, but you were too close. I'm so sorry I didn't notice quicker."

She slid to her feet, steadied automatically by John. "I'm sure you feel just awful. I don't blame you, of course. If I fell down a flight of stairs and hurt myself, then I can only blame myself. My only problem is that I cannot remember how I came to be here. I want to be as open and honest as I can with you, sir, but I fear my ability is severely blocked by the fact that I cannot tell you anything."

He frowned thoughtfully, taking in the woman's appearance. His eyes lighted on her left hand. "Are you perhaps engaged to be married?"

Rose looked down, seeing the ring and trying to think. "I… I don't…"

Martha hedged. "Headmaster, if I may… I made bold to ask her that as we walked to the school. Before she fell. Lady Rose told me that the ring was a gift from her father, but he was waiting for her to choose a worthy man. She's an only child, on holiday with relatives."

Decision soothed the features of the head of the school. "I see. Well, we must make Lady Rose comfortable and extend our hospitality until her full identity can be confirmed and her father contacted. Our halls may be considered your home as long as you need us, my lady."

The lady swept a curtsey, inclining her head gratefully. "I don't suppose… would it be too much to request that Martha act as my ladies maid for the time? I feel a sort of friendship with her, perhaps because at the moment she knows me better than I do myself right now."

"Of course, Lady Rose," he agreed easily. "Whatever will make you more comfortable."

"May I offer my sitting room until a room can be prepared for you, Lady Rose?" John asked her.

Rose couldn't stop the smile at the almost reverent way he said her name. "I would like somewhere to rest that's less… traveled."

"John, I would like to continue the conversation we began earlier," Joan said then, and unfortunately for her, no one in the room missed the hopeful tone to her voice.

"Oh… umm…" John stammered. "We'll talk later, Matron Redfern."

Martha shot the woman an apologetic look as she followed John, Rose, and the Headmaster out of the room. She didn't dislike the nurse, she just knew that no one belonged with the Doctor, or John Smith, like Rose. The Headmaster directed her to a room to prepare for the lady.

John led Rose to his sitting room, making her comfortable. "Can I get you anything, Lady Rose?"

"Just Rose, please," she begged him. "I can't imagine being comfortable with that title hanging over me all the time. And your name is John? May I call you that?"

He smiled at her. "I would like that…Rose."

They chatted about the school for several moments before he laughed and shook his head. "I feel as though I've known you for years, Rose. As though… as though I've been looking for you."

She grinned, wide, with her tongue caught in her teeth in a way that made his heart beat wildly.

"I know just what you mean, John. As though there's this connection between us."

He hedged, trying to find a way to tell her about his dreams. "I… I've rather… seen you before, I think."

She looked at him in surprise. "You have? Where? How?"

"I have dreams, strange, out of this world dreams," he said, finding it oddly easy to tell her once he'd started. "Dreams in which I am a wild adventurer going to all these impossible worlds with companions at my side. The most prevalent companion is a woman – with your face and name."

She gasped, placing a hand over her heart. "Truly! If anyone else had told me that, then I would have laughed, but you… I seem to believe you."

He stood, moving over toward his desk, "I have written down some of these dreams in the form of fiction... um... not that it would be of any interest."

Rose shook her head, standing up as well. "I'd be very interested."

He looked at her in amazement, and Rose nodded, hoping he would continue.

"Well... I've never shown it to anyone before," John stammered, handing her a black leather-bound journal, and she read the handwritten title on the first page.

"'Journal of Impossible Things'," she said, starting to turn the pages. She saw the pages were covered in both writing and ink pictures - the central console of a ship of some sort was sketched on the first page, then a monitor screen section, a detailed sketch of a gas-mask victim. "Just look at these creatures!"

She turned the page again to reveal a Dalek in all its inked glory and couldn't explain or stop the sudden violent shudder that moved through her.

"Mmm," he said, moving closer to her. "It's become quite a hobby."

She kept flipping through more pages, more sketches and pages of writing. The face of an alien that felt oddly familiar gave way to a sketch of two more creatures she thought she'd seen before, then to the face of a clockwork robot that made her scowl with a burst of annoyance.

"It's wonderful. And quite an eye for the pretty girls… but… wait…"

In the centre of the next page was a sketch of Rose's face. She looked up in complete amazement.

"That was the face, always there, in every adventure he had, this woman never left his side. Even when he tried to tell her to."

Martha opened the door quietly but stopped before entering fully, looking at the two of them.

"She's his whole world, you know."

"I'm sure… he means everything to her, as well, John."

She turned to another page, another sketch; this time of a quartet of some sort of robot-men - and in the top corner on the next page, a small sketch of the TARDIS. As John explained it, there is a bigger, more detailed sketch further down the page.

"Ah, that's the box, the blue box, it's always there. Like a...like a magic carpet, this funny little box that transports me to far away places," he said softly, reaching p to brush a lock of hair from her face.

"Like a doorway?" she asked him breathlessly.

He stared at her intently, irresistibly drawn to her. "Mmm."

Martha placed a hand over her mouth, finding herself a little emotional at seeing them like this. The Doctor and Rose belonged together, and for them to not even know...

The next page Rose turned to was a mess of writing, but the pictures stood out brightly - the faces that this Doctor had before.

"I sometimes think how magical life would be if things like this were true," he breathed.

Her answer was wistful, longing. "If only."

"It's just a dream," he said giving a short, quiet laugh.

She looked at him, neither noticing Martha back out of the room. "John, I… all of this… it feels so familiar to me. I almost would say I had shared these dreams with you."

He blinked. "You and I… sharing dreams? That cannot be, can it?"

She bit her lip before whispering, "They say the same about love at first sight… John."

A school bell rang in the background, and John looked terribly disappointed to be pulled away from Rose so quickly.

"Please, keep the book, read it. I'd very much like to share this with you."

She beamed at him, and he had to fight the urge to kiss her again. Why did that seem the natural thing to do with her?

"Thank you, John. I look forward to seeing you later," she told him.

They left the room, Rose watching him walk away toward his class. Only then did Martha come up to her.

"Your room is prepared, Lady Rose," she said softly.

Rose looked at her a moment, then smiled. "Lead on then!"

Once inside the room, Rose shut the door behind Martha and turned. "All right. Spill it, Martha."

The black woman blinked in surprise. "I…"

The blonde growled in frustration. "Look, it's just us. I really can't remember a bloody thing, but I know this isn't right. I don't belong in this place, in this time, in these clothes! I'm no bleeding Lady, and I _know_ that man. He let me borrow this." She showed Martha the journal. "Please, Martha. I don't know what's going on, but if you really are my friend, and I think you are, then help me."

"Fine!" the medical student sighed. "I just want you to know that falling down those damnable stairs was the worst possible thing to happen right now."

Rose rolled her eyes. "You think I'm enjoying it? Who am I really? And why am I passing myself off as a member of the gentry?"

Her friend tried to explain, so many details pouring out that Rose felt dizzy by the time Martha was wrapping up. "…and so you came to the school to help me keep him from making a mistake."

She looked down at her hand. "So we fibbed. This _is_ an engagement ring?"

Martha smiled. "Yes, Rose. You're engaged. To the Doctor, who's currently masquerading as simple John Smith and he doesn't know."

"That works out for me, then. Now, where am I going to get clothes?"

Several days passed in which Rose and John took long walks, had their suppers together, discussed the imaginative 'dreams' he had, and became quite close, much to the annoyance of Nurse Joan Redfern. Lady Rose was a pet of the boys while she stayed, many clamouring for her attention and smiles, even the Headmaster doted on her as a father would. Martha was, admittedly, amazed at her ability to charm people and made a note to ask her about it when she was herself again.

One night, Jenny was sitting on a bench outside the village pub, where she and Martha had gone to catch up. The other maid came out carrying two pints, wrapped up tightly in coat, hat and gloves.

"Ooh, it's freezing out here! Why can't we have a drink inside the pub?" Martha moaned.

Jenny laughed, "Now don't be ridiculous - you do get these notions! It's all very well those Suffragettes; but that's London, that's miles away."

The darker woman shrugged. "But don't you want to scream sometimes, having to bow and scrape and behave, don't you just wanna tell them?"

"I dunno. Things must be different in your country," her friend smiled.

"Yeah, well they are. Thank God I'm not staying," Martha said, taking a drink.

"You keep saying that," Jenny said. "Has the Lady Rose offered you a position?"

She laughed. "Sort of... Just you wait. One more month and I'm as free as the wind. I wish you could come with me, Jenny - you'd love it!"

"Where are you gonna go? Has she remembered where home is yet?"

"Home, especially hers, can be anywhere," Martha replied cryptically, looking up at the stars. "Just look up there. Imagine you could go all the way out to the stars."

Jenny laughed, "You don't half say mad things!"

"That's where I'm going. Into the sky, all the way out," Martha said dreamily, fixed on the stars while her friend still laughed. Suddenly, a green light flared into and out of existence in the night sky. Martha stared in surprise. "Did you see that?"

"See what?"

"Did you see it though? Right up there, just for a second," she insisted, standing.

"Martha, there's nothing there."

She was unconvinced and suddenly wondered where Rose and the Doctor were.

Rose was crossing a field as she took a walk, trying to force her true memory to the surface, when suddenly, the green light burst into life brighter than when it streaked across the sky, a few metres ahead of her and hovering in the sky. She shielded her eyes, and a green beam shone down on her. After a few seconds, the beam went out, leaving Rose staring. She took a few slow steps backward the way she had come, when the green beam lit up again, and, not finding her in the same place, started to drift across the countryside before going out again. Unexplainably terrified, she turned and ran.

As Rose neared the pub, Martha saw her coming and stood up, aware that the woman was distressed.

"Rose, are you alright?"

Rose grabbed her arms. "Did you see that? There was something in the woods... this light..."

Just then, John emerged from the pub and approached the women. "Anything wrong, ladies? Far too cold to be standing around in the dark, don't you-"

"There!" Rose interrupted, pointing into the night sky, where the light flew over again, like a shooting star. "There, look in the sky!"

"That's beautiful," Jenny mused.

Unthinkingly, John placed a hand on Rose's back to comfort her and pointed in the same direction she was pointing, trying to ignore the shiver of familiarity in this pose. "There...orgom. Commonly known as a meteorite. It's just rocks falling to the ground, that's all."

"It came down in the woods," she tried to explain.

"No, no no," he soothed, "they always look close, when actually they're miles off. Nothing left but a cinder. Now, I should escort you back to the school." He turned to the two maids. "Ladies?"

Martha gave Rose a look that clearly told her they would talk later, but forced herself to ask, "Will you need me, my lady?"

Rose looked at John, wanting to talk to her friend, but giving in to her desire to have a private walk with the man she felt so strongly about. "Not right away, Martha, if you're enjoying yourself."

"Then no, we're fine, thanks."

"Then I shall bid you goodnight," John said with a smile, offering Rose his arm and putting on his hat The two walked away back towards the school.

"John, I was terribly frightened in the woods," Rose told him as they got out of earshot. "It felt for a moment... that something was after me."

He let go of her arm and wrapped his around her in a familiar way. "Not to worry, my Rose," he told her, and her heart stammered in recognition of the endearment. "I promised that whatever happened, I would take care of you. I did not make that promise lightly."

She pressed closer to him, feeling quite comfortable there. "I know, but I would not wish you harmed for anything in the world. I'd rather die first."

"Don't say that, Rose," he said seriously. "Now that I have found you, I feel almost... complete. If I were to lose you... I do not know that I could go on."

She looked up at him, trembling at the intensity in his eyes. For a moment, she remembered him, then it was lost. "Oh, John," she breathed, touched by his words. "Can it only be days since we met?"

"Feels I've known you since the beginning of time," he murmured, stopping and turning to her on the dark road. He reached up with the hand that wasn't at her waist holding her to him and brushed a lock of hair out of her face. "Tell me, Rose... if I were in danger, and I told you to leave, what would you say?"

She couldn't think clearly, this close to him, but she didn't need to think about that. "I would tell you that you were mad, of course. My place is with you."

He smiled brilliantly at her, bending to kiss her gently. She sighed and wrapped her arms around him in a decidely unseemly fashion, but she didn't care. This was right, this was perfect, this was... over too soon. John stepped back, staring at her in horror at how forward he'd been.

"Why the devil did you stop?" she demanded breathlessly. "I was quite enjoying that!"

At this, he began to laugh. "You aren't vexed with me for making so bold?"

"No!" Rose insisted. "Though I'm rather vexed you stopped!"

He pulled her close again, and kissed her quickly. "I know we could not make this a public thing until I've a chance to speak with your father properly, but Rose... if I were to present you a ring so early in our acquaintance, would you accept?"

She thought of what Martha had told her regarding the ring she currently wore and smiled. "I can safely say that I would most definitely accept any ring from you."

He kissed her again, once again breaking it short. "I need to return you to the school before someone happens upon us."

"Let 'em happen," Rose pouted, even as she turned and walked with him back to the school.

The next day, Martha rode a bike towards the old stone barn near the wood. Pushing open the door, she smiled as she entered. Reaching around her neck, she withdrew the key on the long chain round and unlocked the TARDIS standing further inside the barn. The console room is mostly in darkness, just as it had been for two months, even when Rose had still been inside.

"Hello. I'm talking to a machine..." she shook her head. "Still, Rose and the Doctor talk to you often enough."

Taking off her gloves, she headed for the console. Sighing, she looked up at the time rotor, dormant. Martha walked round the console towards the monitor screen. She reached the screen and activated a few of the controls on the console. The screen fizzes from its normal display to show the Doctor, addressing a camera.

"This working? Martha, before I change here's a list of instructions for when I'm human. One, don't under any circumstances, let anything happen to Rose, she's my everything. Two, don't let me hurt anyone. We can't have that, but you know what humans are like. Three, don't worry about the TARDIS, I'll put her on emergency power so they can't detect it, just let it hide away. It will leave Rose somewhat weaker than normal, but she's agreed to stay inside so she'll be safe."

Rose's voice, just off camera snapped, "I didn't agree, I was bullied."

Martha smiled a bit at the familiar play between two of the best friends she'd ever had.

"Five- no, wait a minute, four. No getting involved in big historical events. Five- you. Don't let me abandon you. And fi-"

Twisting a dial, she sped through more of the Doctor's speech. "But there was a meteor, a shooting star- what am I supposed to do then?" She let go of the dial at the last item on the Doctor's list.

"And twenty three. If anything goes wrong, if they find us, Martha, then you know what to do. Get Rose. Open the watch."

She sighed and hung her head. "Rose can't help, Doctor. She can't remember anything. Oh... what do I do now?"

"Everything I am is kept safe in there. Now, I've put a perception filter on it so the human me won't think anything of it, to him it's just a watch. But don't open it unless you have to. Because once it's open, then the Family will be able to find me. It's all down to you, Martha. Your choice. Oh, and- thank you."

She whispered to the screen, "I wish you'd come back. I wish you'd both come back."

At the school, one of the boys was outside the door marked 'J. Smith'. He knocked, and the door opened to reveal the professor looking down at him.

"You told me to come and collect that book, Sir," the boy said nervously.

"Good lad, yes.. yes! 'The Definitive Account of Mafeking' by Aitchison-Price, where did I put it?"

He walked to his desk, the boy following slowly behind. Once he entered the room, he found Lady Rose sitting at a table, the makings of tea in front of her.

"Hello Timothy," she smiled brightly at the boy. "I haven't seen you since you helped me carry those books."

"Yes ma'am. I'm sorry, but I've been quite busy, you know," he said, blushing and ducking his head.

Rose shook her head. "Don't worry over it, my dear. I just wondered about you. Your manners are probably the best in the school, and I didn't want anything to have happened."

Timothy beamed at her, and John shook his head in amusement. It was true. Every boy in this school had become completely taken with gaining praise from the Lady.

"I'll try to check in more often, Lady Rose," the boy said eagerly.

"You're such a good boy," she smiled at him. "I wish the others would take after your example."

John shook his head. "And I wanted a little word- your marks aren't quite good enough."

The student kicked at the rug. "I'm top ten in my class, sir."

"Now, be honest, Timothy. You should be the very top. You're a clever boy, but you seem to be hiding it," the professor said, still checking his desk. "Where is that book..." With no luck finding the book on his desk, he walked into an annex library off the main room. "And I know why. Keeping your head low avoids the mockery of your classmates. But no man should hide himself, don't you think?"

Timothy nodded, glancing over to the mantle as though listening for something. "Yes sir..."

There was a watch on the mantlepiece that seemed to be drawing his attention.

"You're clever, be proud of it. Use it," John was saying.

Rose stood and walked to the annex. "Don't be so hard on him, John. The other boys are quite a bit larger than he is. I would imagine they bully him terribly."

Over the top of their conversation, there were whispering voices eminating from the watch. heard only by Timothy. He moved closer, absolutely amazed.

"Time Lord...Timothy, trust Rose, but hide yourself... I'm trapped, kept inside the cogs... protect her…"

Timothy pressed the watch's release button- and it opened, releasing wisps of golden energy.

As the professor and Lady Rose came back into the room, Timothy quickly closed and pocketed the watch. The two adults looked at him curiously, the Lady going so far as to press a hand to his cheek.

"Fascinating details about the siege, really quite remarkable- are you alright?" John asked him.

"Yes Sir. Fine, Sir," the boy answered quickly.

Rose looked down at him. "Are you certain, Timothy? You look so pale."

The boy forced a smile, seeing images of Rose running, swinging on a chain, pointing a gun at someone… and glowing like some kind of angel. He found he liked her even more like that. "I'm certain, Lady Rose."

"Right then," the professor said. "Good. And remember- use that brain of yours!"

The man held out the book and Timothy goes to take it- but as soon as he touched it, he saw a vision of the man as a very different sort of man than the teacher he knew. A man in a pinstripe suit, wielding some sort of glowing object. And he heard the voice whisper again.

"Power of a Time Lord-"

"You're really not looking yourself, old chap- anything bothering you, or...?"

"No Sir...Thank you, Sir," the boy stammered in shock, stumbling out the door.

"I worry about him, John," Rose said as the door closed. "Something is going on with the poor thing, and no one is helping him."

John nodded. "I will keep an eye on him, dearest."

Timothy, walking quickly, closed the door behind him and stood for a moment, before running up the stairs to the dormitory. Sitting on his bed, he took the watch out again and could hear the voices. He opened it again, letting out more of the golden light and louder voices.

"You are not alone...Keep me hidden... Trust Rose…"

More images came to the boy's mind- Daleks, Cybermen, Ood, the werewolf from the Torchwood Estate, the Emperess of the Racnoss, Lazarus, the Sycorax- he snapped the watch shut again, breathing hard. He was more scared at that moment than he had ever been in his young life.

Later in that day, Rose was wandering through the school, bored as she waited for either John or Martha. She knew she was used to doing more, but her guise as a noblewoman left her with very little to occupy her time, and the books from the school library all seemed to be outdated in comparison to her slight memory. She exited a door on the west side of the school, and noticed Nurse Redfern not far from where she was, watching something. Curious, she followed the other woman's gaze and noticed John overseeing a class.

There was a rattle of gunfire, and a hit on one of three rough dummy targets made of a bucket, spliced sticks and a stuffed sack. The boys were doing target practice with a machine gun set up behind a bunker of sandbags.

"Concentrate," John instructed.

Rose frowned, watching. Somehow, the idea of John with a gun seemed very wrong. The gun was being fired by a boy she knew as Hutchinson, the rounds being fed in a steady stream by Timothy. Another boy, who usually bullied with Hutchinson called Baines, was one of the boys watching the targets, with their professor standing a few paces behind. As Rose moved a little closer, she was not entirely pleased with what she saw.

John nodded at the hits. "Hutchinson, excellent work!"

The Headmaster appeared behind Rose.

"May I escort you to the range, Lady Rose?" he asked, offering his arm.

Unable to think of a reason to refuse, she took his arm with a smile. They strode closer, the Headmaster barking out, "Lady on the range, cease fire!"

Hutchinson obeyed, all the boys standing in greeting.

"Good day to you, headmaster," John greeted them, his eyes brightening happily at the sight of the woman. "Lady Rose, it's nice to have you attend."

"Your crew's on fine form today, Mr. Smith," the man praised.

The boy who had been firing said, "Excuse me, Headmaster, we could do a lot better. Latimer is being deliberately shoddy."

Rose frowned at the deliberate attempt to get the younger boy into trouble.

"I'm trying my best," Timothy said softly.

"You need to be better than the best. Those targets are tribesmen from the dark continent," the Headmaster instructed firmly.

"That's exactly the problem, sir," the boy reasoned. "They only have spears."

"Oh, dear me. Latimer takes it upon himself to make us realise how wrong we all are. I hope, Latimer, that one day you may have a just and proper war in which to prove yourself. Now, resume firing," he bade them. "My Lady, let's move back a few feet."

Hutchinson kneeled to resume firing, so Timothy began feeding the ammunition again. As the firing rang out, Timothy heard a different kind of warfare - the sound of a falling bomb. An vision took him over. Two young soldiers struggled through the dark, one supporting the other, who was injured. A watch was opened. He looked up as he heard another bomb heading straight for them.

Back in real time, the gun stopped firing.

Hutchinson called out, "There's a stoppage, immediate action." He looked at the other boy in disgust. "Didn't I tell you, Sir, this stupid boy is useless! Permission to give Latimer a beating, Sir?"

"It's your class, Mr Smith," the Headmaster said, obviously not caring what happened.

Rose couldn't stand it. She absolutely _knew_ he would despise himself later for allowing the boy to be hurt, but wouldn't say so in front of the Headmaster. She said quickly, "If he needs punished, might I use him to move some things around in my quarters, gentlemen? I'm sure it won't be as effective as the normal corporal punishment, but it's the reason I came to see the class. I needed some assistance, and he needs to be put to work…"

John looked at her for a long moment, then nodded. "If it would make you happy, and you would promise that the boy will work hard enough to constitute a punishment."

She nodded. "I think we can be assured of that."

"I should be heading back in. As you were, Mr. Smith," the Headmaster said, losing interest in the class. "Are you returning to the school, my Lady?"

She shook her head. "I think I'll remain a moment more, if I might."

Nodding, he moved back off toward the building.

John nodded toward the gun. "Ah... Pemberton, Smythe, Wicks, take post."

As three more boys take up positions at the gun, the professor turned to the Lady.

"You have a gentle heart, Rose," he said quietly. "You were most distressed at the idea of the boy being hit."

"There was no reason to hurt him," she insisted, looking a little troubled.

"If you'll excuse me, John, I just remembered the words of a friend who insisted that a peaceful resolution to a conflict was the best option in every situation."

"We aren't always granted that option," he frowned, wondering what had her so upset.

"Well, we are in this situation," she countered. "Believe me, John, if the situation called for it I would arm myself also. But not every instance of our lives has to be saturated in the desire to wipe out anything different than us."

He flinched, bitterly feeling her disappointment. As the gunfire rang out, she turned and walked quickly away, leaving him a little more understanding, and despising himself for upsetting her.

After classes, he sought her out and asked if he could have her company for a walk. After a moment's thought, she agreed. Rose didn't like being upset with him, but she really couldn't stop the disappointment she felt at what she saw as his acceptance of unnecessary violence. It didn't sit well with the man she felt he should be.

As they strolled through the village, a piano was being winched up outside a building in a rope sling. Two men were straining with the rope. Rose watched them for a moment as she and John came to a stop near the spot.

"John, I just don't like to see you not just condoning violent acts, but advocating them. In the dreams you speak of, the Doctor… have you ever dreamed of him using violence when it hadn't been provoked?"

He sighed. "No, and you know those are just dreams, my dear. I do not have the luxury of living in a world where I can live without this sort of action. It is my duty to teach those boys how to defend themselves and their country."

"I hope then, that I may leave the school soon," she said softly. "I don't believe I wish to be part of a school that teaches children to kill."

"Don't you think discipline is good for them?" he asked curiously.

She shrugged, looking around. "Does it have to be such military discipline? I mean, if there's another war those boys won't find it so amusing."

He patted her arm. "Well... Great Britain's at peace, long may it reign."

Rose pulled her arm away. "I'm not a china doll that has to be petted and protected, John. And I'm not an idiot to be talked down to. In your journal, in one of your stories, you wrote about next year. Nineteen fourteen."

"That was just a dream," he said uncomfortably, looking at his feet.

"All those images of mud and wire. You told of a shadow, a shadow falling across the entire world," she shivered.

He looked at her and smiled comfortingly, "Well, then we can be thankful it's not true. And I'll admit mankind doesn't need warfare and bloodshed to prove itself - everyday life can provide honour and valour and... let's hope that from now on this, this country can... can find its heroes in smaller places..."

He was distracted as he saw two things- first, a woman and a perambulator coming round the corner by the shop building. Second, the rope sling holding the piano aloft was breaking outside the same shop. The two men holding it desperately tried to steady it and hold it, but the woman didn't notice and continued into its path.

He continued speaking, his tone most distracted. "In the most..."

A young boy near them was tossing a cricket ball up and down in his hand. John looked from the ball to the rope; the second strand was almost completely broken, and the piano lurched alarmingly.

"Ordinary..."

The rope was almost cut. And the woman was almost beneath the piano.

"Of deeds!"

He snatched the cricket ball from the young boy and pitched it at a bundle of spare scaffolding poles standing outside the ironmongers as Rose gasped. The poles fell, hitting a plank of wood with a brick on the end. The brick flew into the air, up and over the piano- just as the rope snapped and it started to hurtle to the ground. The brick hit a milk churn on a cart, sending it falling into the path of the perambulator and stopping the young mother in her tracks. The woman screamed as the piano hit the ground and smashed. Rose beamed proudly at the professor, while John himself was looking amazed by his own skill. As the baby in the perambulator started to cry, the two workmen rush to see if the woman is alright. Rose and John stood stunned for a moment.

"Lucky..." he murmured.

"That was luck?" she teased. "Remind me to take you around to make some wagers."

He grinned at her, feeling rather brave. "Lady Rose, might I invite you to the village dance this evening? As my guest?"

"You impossible man, of course," she replied, laughing. "I didn't think you would want to go. Do you even know how to dance?"

"I'm certain that at one point in my life, I have danced," he retorted playfully.

They were struck at the familiarity of that statement and looked at each other, then for reasons neither fully understood, they both laughed as they viewed the near fatal scene again, clasping hands before they headed back toward the school.

Along the road, they passed fields - one of which had a rather lopsided scarecrow.

"It's all becoming clear now," Rose was teasing him. "The Doctor is the man you'd like to be, doing impossible things with cricket balls."

"Well, I discovered a talent, that's certainly true!" he laughed.

"But the Doctor has a slight problem with the ladies," she grinned.

He shook his head. "The only woman he has eyes for is his Rose, not unlike me."

Her hazel eyes twinkled as she taunted, "A girl at every fireplace."

"Now, there I have to protest, dear one, that's hardly me!" he exclaimed. "And that girl was much fonder of the Doctor than he was of her."

"So I don't have to watch you closely around other women?"

He spied the scarecrow hanging oddly. "That scarecrow's all skewed."

"Change the subject, why don't ya?" she laughed as they crossed the furrows to reach it, and the professor started stretching it across its frame again.

"Ever the artist. Where did you learn to draw?"

He answered without thinking, "Gallifrey."

Rose blinked, the word pricking at her memory. "Is that in Ireland?"

He laughed at himself, a little unsure, "Yes, it must be, yes."

"John dear, you're not Irish," she pointed out.

He nodded, agreeing with her. "Not at all, no. My father Sidney was a watchmaker from Nottingham and my mother Verity was... um...well, she was a nurse, actually."

"Oh, they make such good wives! Should I now worry about Joan Redfern stealing you away?" Rose laughed.

"Hardly. She is kind and bright, but she is not you." He glanced around before pulling her close for a kiss. "Well, my work is done, what do you think?"

He stood back and Rose looked at the scarecrow. "Masterpiece."

"All sorts of skills today!"

Laughing, they headed back onto the road- and the scarecrow turned it head to follow them.

When they returned, they took tea in the professor's study and the man was sketching a young woman- Rose as she is now. As he finished and lowered the book, and smiled at the woman, who was posing for him.

"Can I see it?" she asked eagerly.

John moved to sit next to her on the sofa, showing her the book. She laughed in delight.

"Oh, goodness...Do I look like that?" she grinned with a laugh. "Are you sure that's not me?"

The other page was a sketch of a Slitheen, and it was that she pointed to.

"Most definitely this page, I should think," he pointed back to his sketch of her.

She shook her head, "Oh, John, you've made me far too beautiful."

He smiled at her, "Well that's how I see you."

"You might be biased, you know," she said, laughing a bit. "Should we ask someone else to decide?"

"I am fully biased," he told her, leaning close. "And I don't intend to apologize for that at all."

He fondly brushed the side of her hair, tucking it behind her ear. Slowly, he leaned in towards her and kissed her gently. She returned the kiss, nearly always lost when it came to him.

"I've never known anyone like you, Rose," he said softly. "You're so full of fire and love…"

He ran out of words, and chose to kiss her again instead, a long and loving kiss. The rattle of the door, and they broke apart. Martha came in with a set of linens.

"Martha, what have I told you about entering unannounced?" John snapped.

Martha scurried back out of the door and closed it behind her, leaning against it in shock. Inside the room, Rose cupped the man's cheek.

"John, don't be harsh on her," she pleaded. "She was only doing her job."

"She should knock before entering a private room," he insisted. "She has ever been a bit lax on protocols."

"I need to go dress for tonight anyway," she said, moving toward the door.

"Hurry," he smiled. "I want to show you off to the world."

Rose laughed and headed for her room.

The temporary maid was trying to think. Much as she loved them both, catching them kissing behind closed doors kind of complicated matters. With neither one remembering their real life, they might decide to just stay in 1913… and then how would she get home?

"That wasn't on the list," she whispered.

She headed for the TARDIS, still hidden in the barn, and went through the Doctor's recording again.

"One, don't let anything happen to Rose, she's my everything."

"That's no good. What about the stuff you didn't tell me, what if you want to get involved with Rose while you're human? Oh no, you didn't think of that. What in hell am I supposed to do then?"

She fast-forwarded to the end.

"Martha… Thank you."

"You had to, didn't you? Had to go and fall in love while a human. And Rose had to lose her memory. I'm freaking alone here."

Timothy was toying with the pocket watch as he sat on a bench in the school grounds. The voice inside was whispering again.

"The darkness is coming...keep me away from the empty man... the last of the Time Lords, the last of a wise and ancient race... trust Rose, trust Rose…"

Timothy saw Baines heading through the ground to meet with Mr. Clarke from the village. Then, a red balloon bobbed its way along on the other side of the wall as a little girl joined them. As Timothy watched, all three of them turned to look at him. As one, they tilted their heads to the side curiously- and sniffed deeply.

In the school, Rose turned round in her pale pink dress showing the professor. He caught her, dressed in his own finery, and pulled her close.

"You look wonderful," he told her.

She stood on her toes and kissed him lightly. "And you really can dance?"

John returned the quick kiss and stepped away to get his coat so they could go. "Um...to be honest, I'm not certain..."

Rose laughed and shook her head. "There's a surprise. Is there anything you're certain about?"

"Yes." He looked at her intently and stepped toward her, "Oh, yes. At least one."

She beamed at him and took his arm, happy to go anywhere at his side, but he turned her and pulled her close, kissing her deeply.

In the maid quarters, the door opened and Jenny enters. Martha was making a pot of tea on an elaborate tray and smiled as she saw her friend.

"There you are! Come and look what I've got. Mr Poole didn't want his afternoon tea so cook said I could have it. And there's enough for two."

Jenny was still standing in the doorway, not even removing her coat.

The other woman looked at her in confusion. "What are you standing there for?"

Jenny sniffed loudly.

"Are you alright?" Martha asked.

"I must have a cold coming on," the woman said, sitting at the table, still not having removed her coat.

Martha sighed. "Problem is, I keep thinking about them but I don't know what to do. I have nothing against them, of course, but I just…"

"Thinking about who?" Jenny asked her.

"Mr. Smith and Lady Rose," the darker woman explained, giving her friend an odd look. "Cause it's not right like this, they're gonna leave in a few weeks."

"Why?" the heavier woman questioned.

Martha narrowed her eyes suspiciously. She wasn't acting like herself. "It's like his contract comes to an end. And she's going back home."

"But where are they going?"

Martha began pouring the tea. "All sorts of places. I wish I could tell you Jenny, but it's complicated."

"In what way?" Jenny pressed.

"I just can't."

Jenny's voice became rather insistent. "It sounds so interesting. Tell me. Tell me now."

There was something in her voice that didn't ring true to the other woman. Frowning, she changed the subject. "Would you like some tea?"

"Yes thanks," she replied automatically.

"I could put a nice bit of gravy in the pot," Martha said in the tone of one trying to figure something out. "And some mutton. Or sardines and jam, how about that?"

Jenny nodded, "I like the sound of that."

Faking a cheerful smile, the black woman stood. "Right...hold on a tick."

She absolutely _knew_ something was wrong, and moved to the door. Closing it on her way out, she walked to the stairs- then started to run. Jenny's head turned, she knew Martha was getting away. She pulled an alien gun from under her coat. Meanwhile, the time traveler was out of the building- the woman that was once Jenny went to the window, aims, and fired her gun at the retreating figure, narrowly missing. Frowning fiercely, Jenny headed off.

John and Rose were sharing a loving kiss, which was quickly broken as the door burst open and a breathless Martha ran in and up to them.

"They've found us," she gasped.

Rose stared at her with wide eyes. "Martha! Are you all right?"

"Martha, I've warned you," John began sternly.

Shaking her head, she continued, knowing they didn't have time to argue. "They've found us, and I've seen them- they look like people, like us, like normal. I'm sorry, but you've got to open the watch."

She looked to the mantlepiece- and the watch was missing. Rose followed her gaze and realized the watch John kept there was now gone.

"Where is it?" Martha asked desperately, shuffling through the things on the mantlepiece. "Oh my god, where's it gone? Where's the watch?"

The professor rubbed a hand over his eyes in exasperation. "What are you talking about?"

She turned around, fear in her eyes. "You had a watch, a fob watch. Right there!"

"Did I? I don't remember," he said uncaringly.

Rose bit her lip, glancing between the two. Something was there, right on the edge of her thoughts. "Is the watch important?"

Turning to Rose, Martha was close to shouting at them. "We need it... oh my god, Doctor we're hiding from aliens, and Rose can't remember anything that might help, and they've got Jenny and they've... possessed her or copied her or something and you've got to tell me, where's the watch?"

"Oh I see..." He murmured to Rose, "Cultural differences." He picks up his journal. "It must be so confusing for you. Martha, this is what we call a story."

"Oh you complete..." she stopped herself saying something really rude and waved to encompass the couple. "THIS is not you, THIS is nineteen thirteen."

"Good. This IS nineteen thirteen," John said with a bit of praise.

"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry but I've got to snap you out of this," she said, reaching back her hand and slapping his hard across the face.

"Martha!" Rose gasped, stepping forward.

"Wake up! Both of you! You're coming back to the TARDIS with me!" Martha grabbed their hands and tried to pull them along.

John near bellowed, "How dare you! We are not going anywhere with an insane servant! Martha, you are dismissed, you will leave these premises immediately. Now get out!"

He used her grip on his hand to drag her to the door and throw her out. As he closed the door, Martha stopped, absolutely mad with frustration. Back inside, the professor was annoyed.

"Nerve of it, absolute cheek! You think I'm a fantasist, what about her?" he asked, waving toward the door.

She hesitated to speak, a few fuzzy thoughts making her say, "The funny thing is, you did have a fob watch. Right there. Don't you remember?"

John and Rose were arriving at the village hall for the dance. She was agitated, on the edge of something that confused her, but she was trying to pretend otherwise.

"Perhaps she's infatuated. You're a dangerous man," she teased him.

"You've taken my arm in public," he teased back, not noticing the peril building around him.

She grinned. "Well, I'm very scared."

They laughed but they didn't see Timothy hiding round a corner of the building, trying to find a moment to speak to Rose. All the boy knew was that the one he was hiding wanted to be near Rose.

"Spare a penny for the veterans of the Crimea, sir?" a man at the door of the dance asked them.

John nodded. "Yes, of course." He dug in his pocket and pulled a few coins. "There you are."

As the couple moved inside, Timothy came out of his hiding place and creeped to the doors. As the man collecting money had his back turned counting the donations, the boy hurried in. Inside, people were milling about, getting drinks from a beer keg, laughing and talking. Timothy walked in slowly, looking around.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Please take your partners for a waltz."

John and Rose took their places, and started to dance with the others in the hall as the music started.

"You can dance," she laughed.

"I've surprised myself," he joked as they danced into another pair. "Sorry."

The collector rattled his tin as he saw Martha approaching stormily.

"Ooh, staff entrance I think, miss!" he called out.

"Yeah, well think again mate," she snapped in reply.

Martha stormed in, looking around. She found Rose sitting alone at a table and headed directly for her. Rose looked up as someone approached, expecting for the professor to return with drinks. She spotted him, and he motioned that he was still waiting. She smiled, but her smile faded as a familiar figure stood at their table.

"Oh, Martha, please, don't. Not again. I've only just gotten him to smile again," she pleaded. "I think I can get your position back, but you've got to let him cool down."

"He's different from any other man you've ever met, right?" she asked intently.

"Yes," Rose nodded. "Just as you said he would be."

Martha pressed. "And sometimes he says these strange things, like people and places you've almost heard of, yeah? But it's deeper than that. Sometimes when you look in his eyes you know - you just know that there's something else in there. Something hidden. Right behind the eyes, something hidden away. In the dark. Just like you, just below the surface, waiting to be you again."

"I don't know what you mean, I..." Rose's eyes widen as images floated through her mind.

"Yes, you do. I don't mean to be rude, but it's something that's necessary. I can't do this alone, and you're my best hope. Without the watch, I just don't… I don't know what to do. And I just wanted to say sorry for what you'll undoubtedly go through when this hits you."

John had returned, and looked none to pleased to see the woman he'd just dismissed there. "Oh, now really, Martha. This is getting out of hand. I must insist that you leave."

Not listening, she held out the sonic screwdriver. "Do you know what this is? Name it. Go on, name it."

Rose drew in a sharp breath, recognition flashing in her eyes as he slowly took it from the woman and turned it over in his hands.

"You're not John Smith. You're called the Doctor. The man in your journal, he's real. He's you."

The collector rattled his tin again as more people arrived. "Evening all! Spare a penny, sir?"

"I didn't spare you," Baines said snidely.

Without even looking at him, Baines pulled out a gun like Jenny had earlier, and fired it at the man. As he disintegrated into nothing, Baines, Jenny and Mr. Clarke all walked on into the hall.

Timothy was still inside, walking to a window and pulling back the curtains. The face of a scarecrow popped up and made him jump back. When he looked back again, it was gone. He let the curtain fall back.

Mr. Clarke entered first, gun in hand. Knocking over a hat stand as he strode in, the people shrieked and moved away.

Mr. Clarke shouted loudly, "There will be silence! All of you!"

Scarecrows file in after the three people.

"I said silence!" the man shouted again.

The announcer for the evening called out, "Mr. Clarke! What's going on?"

The man turned and fired at the announcer, dissolving him into nothing. Rose shook herself, standing and looking at Martha, who could tell by her stance that _finally_ her Rose – the Doctor's Rose – was standing there next to her.

Martha smiled in great relief but still said, "Mr. Smith, everything I told you, just forget it! Don't say anything."

Baines sneered at the crowd. "We asked for silence! Now then. We have a few questions for Mr. Smith."

"No, better than that," a little girl said as she joined Baines and Mr. Clarke. "The teacher. He's the Doctor. I heard them talking."

"You took human form," Baines crowed.

"Of course I'm human, I was born human!" John shook his head. "As were you, Baines. And Jenny, and you, Mr Clarke! What is going on, this is madness!"

Baines laughed. "And a human brain, too! Simple, thick and dull."

"He's no good like this," Jenny rolled her eyes.

Mr. Clarke growled, "We need a Time Lord."

"Easily done," Baines shrugged, stepping forward. He raised his gun and aimed it at the professor. The crowd gasped and John recoiled backwards. "Change back."

"I don't know what you're talking about!" the man shouted at him.

"Change back!" the boy demanded.

John shouted angrily, "I literally do not know—"

Jenny grabbed Martha, holding a gun to her head. Martha screamed a little.

"Get off me!"

"She's your friend, isn't she? Doesn't this scare you enough to change back?" the woman who used to be Jenny smiled coldly.

"I don't know what you mean!" he said, looking at the woman. She had angered him, but he didn't want anything to truly happen to Martha. She'd been very loyal and caring to him.

"Wait a minute..." Jenny's smile grew. "The maid told me about Smith and the Lady...that woman, there!"

"Let's have you!" Mr. Clarke shouted, grabbing Rose and holding her hostage, just as Jenny was with Martha.

Rose looked around the room, eyes wide in thought.

Baines taunted the man who was now panicking fully. "Have you enjoyed it, Doctor? Being human? Has it taught you wonderful things, are you better, richer, wiser? Then let's see you answer this. Which one of them do you want us to kill? Maid or Lady? Your friend - or your lover? Your choice."

_A/N: Hope you liked it, leave a review if you did to let me know? Also, wedding is planned, but I have a very pressing question that will affect the series as I write it immensely. The Doctor and Rose with a baby – please yes or please no? Very important to hear from you, oh readers, on this subject._


	11. 0309 The Family of Blood

_A/N: Oh wow! Thank you all so much for the reviews! I can't believe I have over a hundred for this story already!_

Season Three: "Family of Blood"

Jenny primed her weapon, "Make your decision, Mr. Smith."

Timothy reached into his jacket pocket and slowly pulled out the watch.

"Perhaps if that human heart breaks, the Time Lord will emerge," Baines said fiercely.

Timothy opened the watch.

A voice murmured, "Time Lord..."

"It's him!" the boy said scowling, whipping his head around.

Using the distraction, Martha turned the tables on Jenny, holding a gun to her, as Rose spun and snatched the weapon from Mr. Clarke.

Rose spoke, in a voice colder and more confident than she'd had in a while. "One more move and I shoot."

Baines seemed amused. "Oh, the Lady is full of fire!"

Martha shook her head. "And you can shut up!" She fired the gun into the ceiling.

Mr. Clarke said slowly, "Careful, Son of Mine. This is all for you so that you can live forever."

The boy leveled his weapon at them. "I can still shoot you down!"

"Try it," Rose dared him. "We'll die together."

He sneered. "Would you really pull the trigger? Look too scared."

"Scared and holding a gun. It's a good combination. You wanna risk it?" Martha replied. She glanced over at Rose, who didn't appear afraid at all. She looked like a woman ready to defend the man she loved against everything.

Baines looked at the man who should be the Doctor-who was completely out of his depth-before lowering the gun. Rose waved Martha over toward John.

"Martha, get everyone out. There's a door at the side. It's over there. Go on! Get him out, especially."

John stood indecisive. "Rose… what's happening?"

"Go on, John," she replied. "I will handle this. Don't you worry."

Martha nodded. "Do what she said. Everybody out now. Don't argue, Mr. Jackson. They're mad. That's all we need to know. Susan, Miss Cooper, outside, all of you!"

The villagers exited the hall through the front door, screaming.

John noticed Timothy nearby, "Move yourself, boy. Back to the school, quickly."

"And you, John. Go on. Just shift," Rose snapped, eyes and weapon trained on the creatures before her.

"What about you?" he said, unsure how to take the change in her. She had suddenly become the Rose in his dreams, and he couldn't see what had prompted it.

"Mr. Smith, I think you should listen to your Lady friend and get to safety, don't you?" Martha said, tugging his arm. "Trust Rose. Above all, trust Rose."

Timothy stared at Martha with wide eyes as she said that.

They left the hall, the professor issuing directives to those still hanging about outside. "Mr. Hicks, go to the village. Get everyone out. Latimer, get back to the school. Tell the headmaster—"

He reached for the boy's arm, but Timothy yanked away from him, shouting, "Don't touch me! You're as bad as them!" He ran off into the dark.

Rose, inside, held the gun with both hands, aiming at Baines. "Don't try anything. I'm warning you, or sonny boy gets it."

"She's almost brave, this one," Baines said with a grin, as the Family moved closer.

"I wish I'd gotten her form. Much more fun. So much spirit," Jenny grinned.

Rose took a step back, planning an escape. "What happened to Jenny? Is she gone?"

"She is consumed. Her body's mine."

"You mean she's dead," the blonde clarified, realizing there was no way to save these four.

Mother rolled her eyes and mocked the dead woman whose form she'd stolen. "Yes. And she went with precious little dignity. All that-aah-screaming."

A scarecrow grabbed Rose from behind.

"Get the gun!" Son screamed at the creation.

Rose smirked, threw the gun, ducked out of the stuffed soldier's arms and ran for the door. As she made it outside, she saw John and Martha still there.

"Don't just stand there, move!" she shouted. "Did you think they'd just change their mind because I waved a gun at them? Come on!"

Rose grabbed John's hand and glanced to Martha. "Thank you friend, for not giving up. But now we have to hide."

Timothy ran along a road through the woods towards the school and in the distance heard the villagers screaming. He had to talk to Lady Rose. The voice in the watch believed in her. She could fix this... he hoped.

As the Family exited the village hall, Son fired at the villagers as they ran away. "Run! Ah, this is super. We've been in hiding too long. This is sport."

Mother sniffed. "I can smell the schoolteacher. He's gone back to his academy."

"And what do we know about the women?" Son asked.

Mother's stolen body glowed green. "This body has traces of memory, was once the on named Martha's friend. Martha would go walking to the west, and when she brought the one named Rose to the school, it was from the west. Husband of Mine, follow the maid's scent. Go to the west. Find out what she was keeping secret."

"Soldiers!" Father left, followed by some of the scarecrows.

Son smirked. "As for you, Mother of Mine, let's go to school."

John, Rose, and Martha arrived breathlessly at the school. The professor closed the heavy wooden main door behind them. Once inside the school's front hall, he immediately began ringing a bell.

Rose blinked incredulously. "John, what're you doing?"

"Maybe one man can't fight them, but this school teaches us to stand together. Take arms! Take arms!" he shouted up the stairs.

"You can't do that!" Martha cried.

"You could get those boys killed!" Rose insisted.

He shook his head at them. "You want me to fight, don't you? Take arms! Take arms!"

Boys began rushing down the stairs, including Hutchinson.

The bleary eyed boy looked at his teacher. "I say sir, what's the matter?"

"Enemy at the door, Hutchinson. Enemy at the door. Take arms!"

Rose and Martha looked at each other, not knowing how to stop John.

Mother, Son, and Daughter approached the school with a few scarecrows in attendance.

"They're sounding the alarms," Son crowed.

Mother cautioned, "I wouldn't be so pleased, Son of Mine. These bodies are silly and hot. They can damage and die. That's why we need the Time Lord."

He nodded acceptance. "Indeed. They will have guns. Perhaps a little caution. Sister of Mine, you're such a small little thing. Find a way in and spy on them."

Daughter grinned a bit ferally and skipped away down a path.

Inside the school, the boys, now rousted from their sleep, were barricading the school, loading machine guns and other weapons.

"You can't do this, Doctor. Mr Smith!" Martha tried to reason with him.

He ignored her and ordered, "Maintain position over the stable yard."

She tried again, "They're just boys! You can't ask them to fight!"

"Faster now! That's it," he said as though she hadn't spoken.

"They don't stand a chance!" she finally cried dismally.

John turned to her. "They're cadets, Miss Jones. They are trained to defend the King and all his properties."

Rose shook her head as the headmaster entered the room.

"What in thunder's name is this? Before I devise an excellent and endless series of punishments for each and every one of you, could someone explain very simply and immediately exactly what is going on?" the recently woken man bellowed.

"Headmaster, I have to report the school is under attack," John said immediately.

The Headmaster glared at him. "Really? Is that so? Perhaps you and I should have a word in private."

The teacher held up a hand, "I promise you, sir. I was in the village with Lady Rose. It's Baines, sir. Jeremy Baines and Mr. Clark from Oakham Farm. They've gone mad, sir. They've got guns. They've already murdered people in the village. I saw it happen."

"Lady Rose, is that so?"

Sparking on a plan, Rose glanced to Martha with a look that asked the other woman to trust her. "I'm afraid it's true, sir."

The Headmaster gasped. "Murder on our own soil?"

Rose bowed her head demurely, as though horrified. "I saw it, yes."

"Perhaps you did well then, Mr. Smith," he conceded. "What makes you thing the danger's coming here?"

John shifted awkwardly. "Well, sir, they said, um..."

"Baines threatened Mr. Smith, sir. Um, said he'd follow him. We don't know why," Rose said quickly, knowing the truth would be a bad thing to reveal to the Headmaster.

"Very well. You boys, remain on guard. Mr. Snell, telephone the police. Mr. Philips, with me. We shall investigate."

Martha moved in front of him, "No, it's not safe out there."

The Headmaster gave John a reproachful look. "Mr. Smith, it seems your favourite servant is giving me advice. You will control her, sir."

As he left, Martha sighed. "We've gotta find that watch."

Rose nodded, glancing at John before they both headed out of the room. Running down the hallway, they passed Timothy, who is hiding in a small alcove. The Doctor's voice was speaking from the watch.

"Hold me. Keep me safe. Keep me dark. Keep me closed. The time is not right. Rose will know."

There was a movement in the hallway from the other end.

"Not yet. Not while the Family is abroad. Danger!"

The Headmaster and Mr. Philips strode outside to confront the forms of Baines and Jenny.

"So, Baines and one of the cleaning staff," he said, a bit dismissively. "There's always a woman involved. Am I to gather that some practical joke has got out of hand?"

Son bowed jerkily to the man. "Headmaster, sir. Good evening, sir. Come to give me a caning, sir? Would you like that, sir?"

"Keep a civil tongue, boy," the Headmaster snapped furiously.

Mr. Philips tried to calm both of them. "Now - come now everyone. I suspect alcohol has played its part in this."

John was watching from one of the windows.

"Let's all just calm down," Mr. Philips continued. "And who are these friends of yours, Baines? In fancy dress."

"Do you like them, Mr Philips? I made them myself," Son said gleefully, walking to one of the scarecrows. "I'm ever so good at science, sir. Look-" he pulled the arm off one of the scarecrows "-molecular fringe animation fashioned in the shape of straw men.-my own private army, sir. Ever so good, sir."

The Headmaster drew himself up to what he felt was a commanding presence. "Baines, step apart from this company and come inside with me."

"No, sir. You, sir-You!-will send us Mr. John Smith," Son snarled. "That's what we want, sir, Mr. John Smith and whatever he's done with his Time Lord consciousness. And the ever so lovely blonde Rose, as Mother would like her body instead of this one. Then we'd be very happy to leave you alone."

The Headmaster narrowed his eyes. "You speak with someone else's voice, Baines. Who might that be?"

"We are the Family of Blood."

"Mr. Smith said there had been deaths."

Son laughed. "Yes, sir! And they were good, sir!"

The school head reared back as though struck. Teaching them to kill when necessary, that was part of their training. Teaching them to enjoy it... "Well, I warn you, the school is armed."

The boy that was Baines scoffed. "All your little tin soldiers. But tell me, sir, will they thank you?"

"I don't understand," the Headmaster said slowly.

"What do you know of history, sir? What do you know of next year?" Baines taunted.

John frowned, remembering what had been written in his journal about that year.

"You're not making sense, Baines."

"1914 - sir. Because the Family has travelled far and wide looking for Mr. Smith and, oh, the things we have seen. War is coming. In foreign fields, war of the whole wide world, with all your boys falling down in the mud. Do you think they will thank the man who taught them it was glorious?" Son pushed the man, enjoying his torment.

The Headmaster shook his head. "Don't you forget, boy, I've been a soldier. I was in South Africa, I used my dead mates as sandbags, I fought with the butt of my rifle when the bullets ran out, and I would go back there tomorrow for King and Country!"

"Et cetera, et cetera," Son said, bored with human sentiment. He turned and fired on Mr. Philips, disintegrating him.

John recoiled, horrified.

Son waved a hand. "Run along, headmaster. Run back to the school, and send us Mr. Smith and the Lady Rose!"

The Headmaster hurried back inside and straight to John. "Mr. Philips has been murdered, Mr. Smith. Can you tell me why?"

John shook his head, helplessly. "Honestly, sir, I have no idea. And the telephone line's been disconnected. We're on our own."

"If we have to make a fight of it, then make a fight we shall. Hutchinson, we'll build a barricade within the courtyards, fortify the entrances, build our defences. Gentlemen, in the name of the King, we shall stand against them,"

The boys saluted the Headmaster. "Yes, sir!"

The Headmaster walked out of the room and the boys filed out to help with the defences.

Hutchinson began delegating jobs to the younger boys. "Barricade the kitchens. Secure the passageway to the stables." He saw Timothy hiding away and grabbed his arm. "You coward! You'll do your duty, Latimer, with the rest of us!"

Outside, the teachers were directing the boys as they prepared for the attack.

"Sandbags to the north and west."

"...stables in case of..."

"Load the spare magazines with bullets."

"Quickly now! Take the magazine cut-off out!"

"That's it. We need water for the Vickers gun. See to it. Faster! All of you, faster!"

"Lockley, when firing commences, you're in charge of the gallery."

"Peterson, that is not acceptable. Report to your senior officer."

Martha and Rose were searching John's room when Joan came to the door.

"What are you doing?" the Matron asked, surprised and horrified.

Martha looked up, scowling a bit. "Looking for something. You haven't seen a fob watch, have you?"

She shook her head, a bit sharply. "No, I have not. I don't make it a habit to go through men's things."

Rose snorted but kept looking, currently digging through a drawer that held John's underthings. The nurse looked over to say something to her, but gasped when she saw what the blonde woman was doing.

"Lady Rose! What do you think you're doing?!" the widow nearly screamed.

"Looking for the damn watch," she mumbled. "He sticks things in his knicker drawer at home... I found a few pounds but no watch. Martha, where is it?"

Joan pressed a hand to her heart, looking utterly scandalized. "How do you... know such... intimate..."

Rose looked over, sighing. "Look Joan, I'm sorry there isn't a more delicate way to explain just now, but the man you know as John Smith is only a small part of who he really is. He's the Doctor, he's very, very special to me, and I'm trying to get him back."

Joan came into the room a ways. "Lady Rose, you seem different."

"Because I have my memory back," the woman said, moving to the next drawer. "And I'm not a Lady. I'm just Rose."

Martha smiled kindly at Joan. "I know it sounds mad, but when the Doctor became human, he took the alien part of himself and stored it inside the watch. It's not really a watch, it just looks like a watch."

The widow nodded slowly. "And alien means...not from abroad, I take it."

"The man you call John Smith...he was born on another world," the medical student said gently.

"Dammit," Rose snapped, slamming another drawer.

"A different species," Joan murmured. "And are the two of you also of this species?"

Martha shook her head. "I'm just a normal, ordinary human, and Rose is... well..."

"Complicated," the woman said, moving over to look under the bed.

"Yeah."

The nurse seemed to want to argue. "So tell me, in this fairy tale...who are the two of you?

Martha shrugged. "I'm just a friend, enjoying my time with them as they travel. Rose and the Doctor... they're going to be married, but it's much more... remember when they locked eyes in the infirmary? It was like everyone and everything else sort of faded away? That's them. Completely made for each other."

Joan looked crestfallen. "Oh..."

Rose stood, moving to her side. She put an arm around the nurse's shoulders. "It was never our intention to hurt anyone. He had to hide, and I wasn't completely safe in the open. But as soon as Martha realized that you were developing feeling for him, we knew I had to try and make him not an option. When this is over, he's going to leave, Joan. Even if I hadn't come out, he still would have left you behind."

The woman nodded. "If you weren't safe then... are you safe now?"

She shrugged lightly. "Not exactly. But with the Family here, he's in danger without me."

"And your servant," Joan said, glancing at Martha.

Martha laughed. "I'm not really a ssrvant. And I just don't follow them around. I'm training to be a doctor-not an alien doctor-a proper doctor, a doctor of medicine."

"Well that certainly is nonsense," Joan scoffed. "Women might train to be doctors, but hardly a skivvy and hardly one of your colour."

Martha glared at her. "Oh, d'you think? Bones of the hand. Carpal bones, proximal row; scaphoid, lunate, triquetrum, pisiform. Distal row; trapezium, trapezoid, capitate, hamate. Then the metecarpal bones extending in three distinct phalanges; proximal, middle, distal." She pointed to each bone as she named them.

"You read that in a book," the woman declared.

"Yes, to pass my exams. Can't you see this is true?" Martha cried.

Rose shook her head. "She doesn't want to see it, Martha. She wants to believe that I'll go away and John will stay with her."

"I must go," Joan said edging toward the door.

The medical student sighed. "If we find that watch we can stop them."

The woman paused at the door. "Those boys are going to fight. I might not be a doctor, but I'm still their nurse. They need me."

Rose started to say something, but moaned and covered her mouth.

"What's wrong?" Martha asked worriedly.

"I think they've found the TARDIS," her friend whispered. "Oh, this isn't good at all, Martha."

John walked into a room with two boys where Joan-now in uniform-was preparing for after the battle.

"You're with Armitage and Thwaites. They know the drill," the teacher said. "Joan, it's not safe."

She nodded. "I'm doing my duty, just as much as you. Fine evening you and Lady Rose had together."

He sighed. "Not quite as planned. Hope she isn't upset."

"Tell me about Nottingham," she said thoughtfully.

He blinked "Sorry?"

"That's where you were brought up. Tell me about it."

He began reciting, "Well, it lies on the River Leen, its southern boundary following the course of the River Trent which flows from Stoke to the Humber."

The nurse laid a hand on his arm. "That sounds like an encyclopaedia. Where did you live?"

"Broadmoor Street, adjacent to Hotley Terrace in the district of Radford Parade," he said without hesitation.

She shook her head. "But more that facts. When you were a child, where did you play? All those secret little places...dens and hideaways that only a child knows? Tell me, John. Please tell me."

"You too?" he groaned. "How can you think that I'm not real?"

She sighed. "No, it isn't that. No."

"This Doctor sounds like some...some romantic lost prince. Would she rather that? Am I not enough?"

Joan frowned. "No, that's not true, I'm sure of it. Never."

"I've got to go," he said, ending the conversation.

"John," the nurse stopped him. "They were right about one thing, though. Those boys-they're children. John Smith wouldn't want them to fight, never mind this Doctor. The John Smith I was getting to know-he knows it's wrong, doesn't he?"

The Headmaster called out, "Mr. Smith, if you please!"

"What choice do I have?" he asked, heading out to his position.

The teachers and the boys were in the courtyard making final preparations. Hutchinson and Timothy were teamed at a gun.

"Get those bags piled up, filth. Gonna mean the difference between life and death for us," Hutchinson ordered the smaller boy.

"Not for you and me," Timothy said softly.

"What are you babbling about?" the bigger boy snapped.

He looked up with clear eyes. "We're going to battle together. We fight alongside. I've seen it. Not here, not now."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hutchinson asked with no small amount of confusion.

"It means you and I both survive this. And maybe..." he said softly, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the watch. "Maybe I was given this watch so I could help. I'm sorry."

Timothy clamoured to his feet and took off.

"Latimer, you filthy coward!"

Timothy half turned with a wave. "Oh yes, sir. Every time!"

He ran back into the school, and sat alone in the hallway holding the watch in his hands.

"What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?"

"Beware..."

The boy shook his head. "Beware of what?"

"Her."

He looked up and saw Daughter standing at the opposite end of the hall. Timothy stood to face her, hiding the watch. Daughter sniffed experimentally.

"Keep away," he warned.

"Who are you?" the creature asked.

Timothy stepped back. "I saw you at the dance. You were with that Family. You're one of them."

"What are you hiding?" Daughter asked.

"Nothing," he replied automatically.

She scowled, stepping toward him. "What have you got there?"

"Nothing."

"Show me, little boy," she ordered.

the boy smirked. "I reckon whatever you are, you're still in the shape of a girl. How strong is she, do you think? Does she really want to see this?"

He opened the watch in Daughter's direction, sharing some of the Doctor's memories, especially his confrontation with the Racnoss. She ran off, and he decided he had to find Lady Rose.

Inside the courtyard, the boys were at their guns watching the main doors.

"Stand to!" the Headmaster shouted.

There was a pounding at the door, as something, likely the scarecrows, began trying to get in.

"At post!"

Everyone aimed their guns, including John, though his mind was awash with uncertainty in his own actions.

"Enemy approaching, sir!" one of the boys called out.

"Steady!" the Headmaster returned. "Find the biting point."

The wood bar across the gate cracked apart and the scarecrows entered through the now open door.

"Fire!"

The boys fired and some of the scarecrows fell but others kept coming. John did not fire, torn between disgust and relief. Inside, Rose and Martha stood at a window, joined by Joan, and Rose seemed ready to cry.

"He didn't fire," Rose whispered gratefully. "I'm glad. He would have hated himself."

As the scarecrows lay heaped on the ground, the Headmaster shouted, "Cease fire!" He walked out to inspect the fallen enemy. "They're straw. Like he said. Straw!"

Hutchinson turned to John, asking in a quiet, frightened voice, "The no one's dead, sir? We killed no one?"

John nodded at him, unable to trust his voice. They were children... just children...

They heard footsteps and the Headmaster headed back behind the guns. "Stand to!"

A little girl with a red balloon appeared and skipped right into the middle of the scarecrows. Rose and Martha tore from the window and ran for the courtyard.

The Headmaster, seeing Daughter standing there, moved forward. "You child, come out of the way. Come into the school. You don't know who's out there. It's the Cartwright girl, isn't it? Come here. Come to me."

Martha, reaching the doors first, cried, "Headmaster, please. Don't go near her."

He barely glanced in her direction. "You were told to be quiet."

"Listen to her, sir," Rose echoed, and John's shocked, frightened face turned to her. "She's part of it! Matron, tell him."

Joan, who had followed them out, stammered, "I think-I don't know. I think you should stay back, Headmaster."

Rose locked eyes with the professor who was staring at her. "John, please. Tell him."

He stuttered, "She was-she was with-with Baines in the village."

The Headmaster glowered at all of them, "Mr. Smith, I've seen many strange sights this night but there is no cause on God's earth that would allow me to see this child in the field of battle, sir. Come with me."

Daughter tipped her head. "You're funny."

He nodded and held out his hand. "That's right. Now take my hand."

"Soooo funny," She said in a sing song voice, reaching into her coat. She pulled out a gun and shot the Headmaster and smirked at everyone. "Now who's going to shoot me - any of you, really?"

"Put down your guns," John said, lowering his own rifle.

Hutchinson turned. "But sir, the Headmaster-"

"I'll not see this happen," the teacher interrupted him. "Not anymore. You will retreat...in an orderly fashion back through the school. Hutchinson, lead the way."

"But sir-"

John barked at him, "I said, lead the way."

"Go on, then, run!" Son cackled as he appeared, firing his gun into the air.

The boys panicked, many screaming as they ran to retreat.

"Come on!" Rose said to John, grabbing his hand and running, Martha and Joan right behind.

The four adults ran through the school, leading the boys out through the stables.

"Let's go! Quick as you can!" John shouted.

"Don't go to the village! It's not safe!" Martha instructed them.

The professor gestured to the three of them, "And you, ladies!"

Joan shook her head. "Not until we get the boys out."

When they had all gotten outside the stable, John paused before turning to head back. "Now, I insist. The three of you just go. If there are any more boys inside, I'll find them," he said, over their protests as he opened the door to the passage to find scarecrows on the other side. He quickly slammed it shut and locked it. "I think...retreat."

They ran for the woods, pausing only when they heard a sing song voice calling, "Doctor! Doctor!"

The four of them looked through the trees to see Father standing next to the TARDIS. Rose gave a cry of dismay.

"Come back, Doctor. Come home. Come and claim your prize," Father taunted. He took a deep sniff. "Or just send that woman. She's connected to this... we can tell. If you send her, we won't need you."

Son joined him, grinning at the new knowledge. "Out you come, Doctor! There's a good boy. Come to the Family or sacrifice your ship and the woman."

"Pretty little Rosie," Mother added. "Time to end it now!"

Martha looked at John. "You recognise it, don't you?"

Rose covered her face. "I can save him Martha..."

"Don't you dare, Rose!" her friend snapped in a hushed tone. "Without him, we need you right now."

Mother called again, "Come out, Doctor! Come to us!"

John shook his head. "I've never seen it in my life."

"Do you remember its name?" she pressed.

Rose shook her head. "I'm sorry, John, but you wrote about it. The blue box. You dreamt of a blue box. If we can't get you back to normal, I'll have to go or they'll kill everyone."

"You would give yourself over to those murdering creatures?" he asked incredulously.

She met his gaze with tears in her eyes. "To save these people? To save you? To protect the Doctor? Yes. Every time."

He spoke, his voice breaking slightly. "I'm not-I'm John Smith. That's all I want to be. John Smith, with his life...and his job...and his love." He reached out to touch her cheek. "Why can't I be John Smith? Isn't he a good man?"

"Yes. Yes, he is," she whispered.

"Why can't I stay?"

Martha hated herself for saying it, fighting her own tears. "But we need the Doctor."

He looked at her. "So what am I then, nothing? I'm just a story."

He whirled and ran, followed immediately by Joan, then Rose and Martha turned to go. The group rushed down a country road, stopping after a while to get their bearings.

Joan gestured to the west. "This way. I think I know somewhere we can hide."

"We've got to keep going," John said, more than a little flustered.

"Just listen to me for once, John," she said heatedly. "I may not be Rose, but trust me. Follow me."

Martha glanced at him and followed the Matron, Rose right behind her. After a moment's hesitation, the professor followed the women. After about a good run, they arrived at a dark house.

"Here we are. It should be empty," Joan panted. "Oh, it's a long time since I've run that far."

"But who lives here?" Rose asked.

The nurse glanced back in the direction they'd come from. "If I'm right, no one."

They walked slowly to the front door and Joan entered first. It was a simple cottage kitchen with tea set on the table.

"Hello? No one home. We should be safe here," she said.

Martha saw a doll on a bench. "Whose house is it, though?"

Joan looks around sadly. "Um, the Cartwrights. That little girl at the school-she's Lucy Cartwright, or she's taken Lucy Cartwright's form. If she came home this afternoon and if the parents tried to stop their little girl, then they were vanished." She touched the teapot. "Stone cold. How easily I accept these ideas."

John sat heavily on one of the chairs at the table, looking as if he was carrying the weight of the world. "I must go to them before anyone else dies."

"You can't," Joan said taking a seat. "Rose, Martha, there must be something we can do."

"Not without the watch," Martha said, shaking her head.

Rose walked to the window, looking out. "There's something, but none of you would like it, and he'd be furious."

"You're this Doctor's companions!" John exclaimed, and the woman at the window flinched. "Can't you help? What exactly do you do for him? Why does he need you?"

Martha frowned at him. "Stop it. You're hurting her."

"Maybe I don't care anymore," he snapped, looking miserable.

"Maybe you shouldn't," Rose said quietly, twisting the ring on her hand. "Maybe he wouldn't even want to come back... maybe he's tired of saving people..."

"And that's what you want me to become," John scowled.

There was a knock on the door and they all turned to face it.

"What if it's them?" Joan gasped, hand flying to her throat.

Martha shook her head. "I'm not an expert, but I don't think scarecrows knock." She walked to the door and opened it to reveal Timothy.

The boy came inside and walked directly to Rose. "I brought you this," he said, holding out the watch.

"My Rose," the watch whispered, and tears poured down the woman's cheeks as she sank to the floor.

Her friend moved over and held her hand out, letting the boy deposit it in her palm. She moved to the professor and held it out.

"Hold it," she told him.

He stiffened and pulled back. "I won't."

"Please, just hold it," the medical student begged him.

Timothy looked at him, frowning. "It told me to find you. It wants to be held."

Rose took a deep breath, calming herself. "You've had this watch all this time? Why didn't you return it?"

The boy shuffled his feet. "Because it was waiting. And because I was scared of the Doctor."

"Why?" Joan asked, surprised.

His answer was soft. "Because...I've seen him. He's...like fire and ice and rage. He's like the night and the storm in the heart of the sun."

"Stop it," John choked out.

Timothy continued, as though he hadn't heard. "He's ancient and forever. He burns at the centre of time and he can see the turn of the universe."

"Stop! I said stop it," the teacher gasped.

"And he's wonderful," the boy said, his eyes shining.

Rose smiled at him. "Yes he is."

Joan reached into her coat pocket and pulled out the journal. "I've got this. The journal. I'm so sorry for taking it, Rose, but I wanted to understand why he connected to you so well."

Rose waved her off, standing to her feet once more.

"Those are just stories," John said defensively.

The nurse frowned at him. "Now we know that's not true. Perhaps there's something in here."

There was a sudden explosion outside and they all gasped.

"What the hell?" Martha cried.

They all looked out the window to see what could have passed for meteorites falling to the ground.

"They're destroying the village," Rose said, her sadness almost radiating from her. "I... I can't let them do that..."

The confused man turned to Martha, holding out his hand. "Watch."

"John, don't," Joan said, flipping to the end of the journal. "There might be another way."

"Come closer," the voice in the watch said.

"Can you hear it, sir?" Timothy asked him.

"Closer. Closer," the watch beckoned.

John peered at it. "I think he's asleep. Waiting to awaken."

The boy moved closer. "Why did he speak to me?"

The man holding the watch spoke without thinking, "Oh, low-level telepathic field. You were born with it. Just an extra synaptic engram causing-" He stopped and took a deep breath, looking up at Rose almost accusingly. "Is that how he talks?"

She nodded, still staring out the window. She couldn't speak. If he chose to remain human... she would have to leave. She couldn't stay with him while he grew old and died, and she didn't.

"That's him!" Martha cried excitedly. "All you have to do is open it and he's back."

"You knew this all along and yet you watched while Rose and I-Rose knew!"

Martha shook her head emphatically. "I didn't know how to stop you! And Rose didn't, that fall down the stairs was real and she couldn't remember anything! He gave me a list of things to watch out for but that wasn't included."

Joan scanned the journal, trying not to feel the sting of jealousy.

"Falling in love?" John asked, mouth agape. "That didn't even occur to him?"

"No," she said with a certain matter of factness. "Why would it?"

"Then what sort of man is that?" the teacher snorted derisively. "And now you expect me to die?"

There were more explosions from outside, and Joan flinched as she read through the end of the journal.

"It was always going to end, though!" Martha tried to explain to him. "The Doctor said the Family's got a limited lifespan. That's why they need to consume a Time Lord. Otherwise, three months and they die. Like mayflies, he said. And of course he didn't consider falling in love. He's already so in love with Rose that everything in the whole of time and space centers on her for him! How could he even think that his human self could feel any different?"

He chose to ignore that last bit. "So your job was to execute me."

She could have shaken him for being so selfish. "People are dying out there! They need him and I need him and more than anything, Rose needs him. 'Cause you've got no idea of what he's like. I've only just met him . It wasn't even that long ago, but he is everything... he's just everything to so many people..."

The house rocked with the explosions.

"It's getting closer," Timothy said fearfully.

John stood. "I should have thought of it before-I can give them this. Just the watch. Then they can leave and I can stay as I am!"

"You can't mean that!" Joan suddenly cried out.

"Can't I?" he said, eyes a bit wild. "If they want the Doctor, they can have him."

Martha said, horrified. "He'll never let you do it."

He floundered, "If they get what they want, then-then-"

"Then it all ends in destruction," Joan finished. "I just read the end and those creatures would live forever to breed and conquer. War across the stars...for every child."

John was on the verge of tears.

Martha sighed. "Can I talk to you honestly, please?"

John sobbed, nodding his head. Explosions still echoed throughout the countryside and Joan pulled Timothy into her arms, hugging him tightly. Martha sat next to the teacher.

"If I could do this instead of you, then I would," she told him gently. "But I can't. You can choose to remain human, but in the end, can you live with yourself?"

He turned to look at her. "How do I know he's a better choice? Can he love her like I do?"

Martha patted his hand. "She won't be able to stay with John Smith... not really. Rose doesn't age, and won't die for a very long time... if ever. Unless she's killed. She could never stay around normal humans for long."

He hung his head. "I don't want to die, Martha. And I don't want to live without her. Why can't I just live a normal life?"

She sighed. "I can't make the decision for you. None of us can. Talk to Rose, this hurts her at least as much as it does you."

"That might be difficult," Timothy interjected.

"Why?" John asked, raising his head.

"Because Miss Rose left," the boy explained. "I didn't realize until just now, but... it was around... the time you asked Miss Martha if she expected you to die."

"Oh God, she's going to give herself up to them..." Joan realized, horrified.

Martha choked back a sob. "I lost both my best friends now. One to selfishness, the other to stupid nobility."

John stood, holding the watch tightly, his expression grim but determined.

"What are you going to do?" Joan asked, both in awe of his expression and a bit afraid.

He didn't answer, he just strode out.

Inside their ship, the Family stood around Rose sneering. Son was trying to force her into opening the TARDIS for them.

"We can't use you quite like this, you know. The connection is almost hidden… how did you do that?"

Rose glared at him. "I've already told you, it's on emergency power. I can't do anything from here, I have to be inside."

Mother laughed. "You think we'd fall for that? You'll just zip out of here to protect these stupid little humans. No, you access it from here."

There was a slight metal twang and the Family turned as one to see the man known as John Smith entering the ship, holding up his hands in defeat.

"Just—" He gave a clumsy lurch and leaned against the side of the ship, hitting a few buttons. "Just stop the bombardment and let Rose go. That's all I'm asking. I'll do anything you want, just don't hurt her!"

"John!" Rose cried. "What have you done?!"

Son grinned triumphantly. "Say please."

He didn't even hesitate. "Please."

After a slight pause, Mother turned a switch and there was a hiss as the ship responded. She grabbed Rose's arm to fling her toward him, but stopped.

"Wait a minute," she said, inhaling deeply. "Still human."

The man spread his hands. "Now I can't-I can't pretend to understand, not for a second, but I want you to know that I'm innocent in all this. He made me John Smith. It's not like I had any control over it," he explained, stumbling a bit and knocking against more buttons.

"He didn't just make himself human, he made himself an idiot," Mother observed with some amusement.

Son rolled his eyes. "Same thing, isn't it?"

John shook his head. "I don't care about this Doctor and your family, I just want you to go. But I do love Rose, with everything that I am. She's the most important thing in the universe."

Rose had been hanging her head in defeat, but at his words, she snapped her eyes to him, staring in shock.

He nodded. "So, I've made my choice." He held out the fob watch. "You can have him. Just take it, please! Take him away, and give me my Rose."

Son laughed. "At last." He took the watch, grabbing the man by the lapels. "Don't think that saved your life, either of you."

Son pushed him away, taking hold of Rose and flinging her after him. As they fell, they hit more buttons, but he managed to pull her close. She placed a hand on his chest, smiling tearfully at him as the Family gathered around the watch.

"Family of Mine, now we shall have the lives of a Time Lord," Son gloated, opening the watch.

The Family all breathed deep.

"It's empty!" Son cried angrily, turning on the couple.

"Well, where's it gone?" Rose demanded, looking properly shocked.

"You tell me," he snarled, throwing the watch at them.

The Doctor caught it one-handed with a bit of a smirk. "Oh, I think the explanation might be you've been fooled by a simple olfactory misdirection-little bit like ventriloquism of the nose. It's an elementary trick in certain parts of the galaxy. But it has got to be said—" He dropped the watch in his pocket, pulling out his glasses and putting them on without loosening his hold on Rose even a little. "I don't like the looks of that hydroconometre. It seems to be indicating you've got energy feedback all the way through the retrostabilisers feeding back into the primary heat converter—ah," he winced sympathetically hissing through his teeth. "'Cause if there's one thing you shouldn't have done, you shouldn't have let me press all those buttons. But, in fairness, I will give you one word of advice-Run."

Taking Rose's hand, the pair ran for the exit, listening to the Family behind them, screaming and running after them. They all ran across the field behind before the ship exploded, throwing them to the ground. When the Family looked up, they saw the Doctor standing over them, holding Rose's hand, absolutely furious.

"I tried to give you a chance," he told them in a low, dangerous voice. "I tried to allow you to simply live the lives you'd been given… but you couldn't have that. You followed me, killed innocent people, and tried to destroy the most important thing to me… and still… once you thought you'd gotten your prize, you blatantly told me that you still intended to kill us."

Rose looked disappointed, but cold. The Family felt cold stabs of fear.

"You wanted to live forever?" the Doctor promised, though his voice clearly said it would not be a gift he offered. "I will ensure that you do. No matter how much you wish otherwise… you will live on."

The Time Lord turned to his fiancee. "Are you going to stop me from this, Rose? If you speak for them, I'll just kill them."

She looked at the Family, seeing the fearful pleas in their eyes, and then she turned to see the smoking village in the early light of the new day. Finally, she looked at the Doctor.

"They almost wiped out this entire village for something they were never meant to have. They almost destroyed you. They intended to destroy me. They showed no compassion, no respect for life, no remorse," she said in a softly angry voice. "Even if I wanted to after that, I cannot speak for such monsters."

Nodding with an impassive expression, he grabbed the arms of both Father and Son, Rose taking hold of Mother and Daughter.

"We'll take them to the TARDIS, and deal with them from there," he said to her. "Then we'll come back for Martha."

"I wouldn't want her involved in this anyway. It's bound to upset her," Rose said, as serious as he was.

The Doctor looked at her. "Would you rather I do this alone, Rose? You don't have to help."

"Yes, I do," she said. "I've told you, time and again, I intend to be your partner, and that's in everything. If I only wanted the fun things, I shouldn't have agreed to marry you."

He nodded, and they left to deal with the Family. For the Father, they chose a hidden chamber in a world trapped half out of time where they locked him in unbreakable chains, forged in the heart of a dwarf star and left him there to scream out his pain and loneliness indefinitely. For Mother, they traveled to the event horizon of a collapsing galaxy and Rose shoved her out, to be imprisoned there...forever. For Daughter, the Doctor trapped her inside a mirror, every mirror. He wouldn't tell his fiancée how he did it, but she noticed that when there was a flutter of movement out of the corner of someone's eye as they gazed into a mirror, that was Daughter. Son was the last, and most personal for the couple. The Time Lord suspended him in time, and they dressed him as a scarecrow out in a field. The Doctor placed the hood over his head, his eyes dark and unreadable.

With the Family taken care of, they returned to the Cartwright's house, both now dressed in their regular gear. Joan, Martha, and Timothy were all there, though it was obvious a few days had passed since they took the family away. Rose tossed a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and a jacket to Martha, smiling apologetically, and stepped outside with Timothy, while the Doctor looked at Joan with an expression of sorrow.

"Is it done?" she asked, staring out the window.

"It's done," he nodded.

She sighed. "Police and the arm are at the school. The parents have come to take the boys home. I should go. They'll have so many questions. I'm not sure what to say," she admitted, turning around. "Oh, you look the same. Goodness, you must forgive my rudeness. I...find it difficult to look at you. Doctor, must call you Doctor. Where is he? John Smith?"

The Doctor tapped his temple. "He's in here somewhere."

"Like a story. Could you change back?" she asked curiously.

"Yes."

She shifted, glancing away. "Will you?"

"No," he told her. "This is the way I was meant to be, and I wouldn't do that to Rose again."

"I see," Joan nodded, silently admitting defeat. "Well then. I think you ought to know, I loved him. That ordinary man. I never expected to, and I know he never thought of me in that way, but I loved him, all the same."

"For what it's worth, Joan, I am sorry. I never intended to cause any sort of lasting change here."

Trying to distance herself from him, the woman said, "Answer me this, just one question. That's all. If the Doctor had never visited us, if he'd never chosen this place on a whim...would anyone here have died?" She nodded as he made no attempt to answer. "You can go."

After he left, Joan slowly walked to the table and picked up the journal and held it to her, crying.

Outside, Martha joined Rose and Timothy as the Doctor walked out of the cottage.

"All right. Molto bene!" he said in the tone that even Martha recognized as falsely cheerful.

"How was she?" the medical student asked.

Instead of answering, he said, "Time we moved on."

Rose placed a hand on his arm, knowing him too well to not recognize the look in his eyes. She spoke softly, "It isn't your fault."

He nodded, a flash of pain behind his eyes that he quickly pushed away. "Time we moved on. And I never said thanks for lookin' after me." He smiled and wrapped Martha in a big hug.

"You're welcome, of course, and I'm sorry for pulling Rose out of the TARDIS and putting her in danger."

The Doctor shook his head. "Not at all, not at all. I would have been more upset had I found myself moving further away from her and her trapped inside when they captured it."

Rose bit her lip, looking away. They hadn't really spoken since he'd returned to himself. The distrust and resentment of John Smith still echoed in her head and heart. Sure, he'd only been human, and a frightened, threatened human at that, but that part of her that feared she wasn't good enough for him still wondered if he wished she'd just let him stay human and left him to live a normal human life.

Timothy looked up at him. "Doctor, Martha."

The Time Lord grinned. "Tim-Timothy-Timber."

The boy nodded. "I just wanted to say good-bye, I already told Miss Rose. And thank you, because I've seen the future and I now know what must be done. It's coming, isn't it? The biggest war ever."

"You don't have to fight," Martha said softly.

The boy smiled sadly up at her. "I think we do."

"But you could get hurt," she argued.

"Well, so could you, travelling around with them, but it's not going to stop you," he countered.

The Doctor nodded. "Tim, I'd be honoured if you'd take this." He held out the watch.

Timothy held the watch up. "I can't hear anything."

"No, it's just a watch now," the man said, shaking his head. "But keep it with you. For good luck."

Martha bent and gave the boy a hug. "Look after yourself." She gave him a kiss on the cheek before she turned and entered the TARDIS.

Rose knelt and held out her arms, hugging Timothy tightly. "I really did like you best, hon. You're a wonderful boy, and you'll make a good man. I only wish I could have stayed to see you do it."

"Miss Rose, I'm going to miss you, but I'm glad you know who you are now. And don't worry." He leaned closer and whispered, "He didn't really mean any of that."

She kissed the opposite cheek from Martha and moved inside the TARDIS. The Doctor shook the boy's hand and moved to the door.

"You'll like this bit," he said with a wink, moving inside and after a few moments, the TARDIS dematerialized.

Timothy smiled and walked away.

Martha stretched and grinned as she looked around the control room. "It's good to be back," she smiled. "I'm going to go see if the TARDIS will let me find the library, and possibly take a nap. Being a maid in 1913 is not easy by any definition. Don't go anywhere fun until I wake up. Also… I may take a two hour shower… oh hot water that lasts forever… how I've missed you!"

Rose couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up out of her as her friend sauntered dreamily toward the hall, though it faded a bit as she turned to the Doctor.

"I…" she started before gathering her thoughts. "I'm sorry… for how it all turned out."

He nodded, adjusting the controls a bit before looking up at her. "When did you take it off?"

Rose looked down at her hand, knowing exactly what he meant even if she was surprised he noticed. "Before I left the cottage. It didn't seem fair to keep it on… if you didn't mean it anymore…" She stopped speaking, the lump in her throat painfully large.

He crossed to her in three quick steps, gathering her into his arms and laying his cheek on her head. "Oh my poor girl… what have I done to you? Rose, my darling… my life… I still mean it, love. I do. I meant it then, I mean it now. I was scared, angry, confused about a lot, but not about you. Never about you."

She broke down and cried then, wrapping her arms around him and holding on desperately. He held her just as tightly, not saying a word while she let go of all the fear and pain she'd been tucking away. As she finally got herself to a point she could speak again, she tipped her face up to look at him, and gasped as she found him crying as well.

"Doctor!" she said, reaching up to wipe his tears away. "Why are you crying?"

"You were willing, even when you thought I had changed my mind about you, to give yourself up to protect me," he told her in awe, wiping her tears away also. "Darling, don't you know how much that means to me? How much _you_ mean to me? I love you."

She beamed at him. "I love you, Theta. And I wanted to protect you, and your right to choose. If you wanted to be human, I wanted to make it possible for you to live a long life as one."

He shook his head, touching his forehead to hers. "I have no life without you, my Rose. Where's your ring?"

She stuck her hand in her pocket, pulling out the shining diamond. He took it from her and held her left hand, sliding it onto her finger before kissing her deeply.

"Never take it off again. Please," he asked her, his voice thick with emotion.

"Never again," she promised, kissing him back.

"Here's a quick thought…" Martha said suddenly from the side of the room.

The couple jumped, both staring at the woman as though she'd appeared from nowhere.

"Next time, just tell people you're married, so you don't have to be separated in the first place," she instructed them.

Both Rose and the Doctor blushed at that, looking a bit embarrassed.

Martha rolled her eyes good naturedly. "I'd thump you both, but I'm way too tired. I want two days to just be exceedingly lazy, and then we're going somewhere fun."

The Doctor grinned and hugged his Rose to him, drinking in the feel of her in his arms again. "Two days sounds about right."

The blonde woman laughed and snuggled up to him. "And then a faire of some kind. With games and prizes."

Martha waved and headed off to her room, for real this time, and Rose looked up at her Doctor.

"What _will_ we do for two days?" she asked with her sassy grin.

"Oh, just you wait, you beautiful girl, just you wait," he laughed, pulling her out of the room.

The TARDIS hummed happily, holding the course until her people had all recovered from their most recent misadventure.

_A/N: Well, we're over a hundred reviews so my new goal is 150 reviews before season three is finished. The decision for a baby has been made, but you'll have to keep reading to figure out what it is. Also, the details on the wedding are being adjusted, so I'm reopening the polls on that. But only for the timing. Let me know when they should get married!_


	12. 0310 Blink

_A/N: This was a hard chapter to write, but I wanted to do something different here. Instead of following the regular episode as I have for most of them, I followed the Doctor, Rose, and Martha in 1969. I hope you all like it, as I really worked hard on this._

Season Three: "Blink"

"So, a faire," the Doctor grinned, in a very good mood. "There's a rather large one on Krosillar."

"Hmm?" Rose asked, blinking owlishly from her spot in one of the coral branches, where she perched, daydreaming. "I'm sorry love, what was that?"

"You wanted to go to a faire two days ago," he reminded her. "And the Krosillarian faire is the biggest and best."

"What's it for?" she asked, hopping down and moving over to him. "The faire, I mean. Why they having a faire?"

He adjusted the controls to take them to a good spot on Krosillar. "That's the one place in the universe where Reaper eggs are found. So at the end of the season, once all the eggs have been found and returned to the Time Vortex, they hold an elaborate festival."

"Reaper eggs? Those things that attacked when I messed up the timeline and saved my Dad?"

He nodded, glancing at her as she shuddered. "You won't see any, Rose. They get to the eggs before they hatch. Any that can't be tossed into the vortex are destroyed."

"Thought you said they couldn't be hurt," she said, remembering.

He nodded. "Any that hatch within the Time Vortex can only be hurt or killed in the Time Vortex. One that htaches outside of it can be killed just after hatching, or the eggs can be destroyed."

"Oh, so we'll be safe, yeah?"

He kissed her softly, smiling. "Safe as I can make you, my Rose. I promise."

"Weren't you doing that last time I saw you?" Martha teased as she came in the room. "Honestly, you two are so cute sometimes I just want to smack you."

The Doctor blushed and busied himself with flying the TARDIS, but Rose just grinned and moved closer to her friend. He couldn't help but wonder sometimes what it was about that one adorable pink and yellow human that made him feel as though he were going through his adolescence all over again.

"Doctor's taking us to the biggest faire in the universe," his Rose announced to the other woman.

"Really?!" their companion asked excitedly. "Like with rides and games and everything?"

"Really really," he promised. "Though I don't know if the rides are any good. I don't think I've ever ridden any."

There was a silence after he said that, and he finally peeked around to find them both staring at him with their mouths open.

"What?"

"You've never been on a faire ride?" Martha asked with some shock.

As he shook his head, Rose put her hands on her hips. "Well, we're gonna fix that."

"Oh are we now?" he asked, amused.

She sauntered over to him. "Yes, we are. If Martha and I have to tie you up to do it."

Martha laughed. "If I can find the closet that has the rope."

They landed and headed out to what they expected would be a large crowd, but found only a few workers, bright purple, of course.

"Sorry folks!" a purple man yelled, waving at them. "Festival hasn't started yet!"

"Why not?" the Doctor asked.

"Missing an egg," he answered. "Some idiot stole a Red Reaper egg and took off with it, and unless we track it down and take care of it, one of those nightmares will be loose and we won't be able to banish it away."

"That's not good," Martha said.

Rose shook her head. "You have no idea. I've seen them. The word nightmare doesn't even begin to cover them."

"And you're sure it was a red?" the Doctor asked, frowning intensely.

The worker nodded. "Unfortunately. Final count of the removed was short by one of the count found. They've tracked it to a planet, but we aren't exactly inconspicuous there, so we're trying to find someone to destroy it. What species are you three?"

"Time Lord," the Doctor answered, gesturing to himself, then to Martha and Rose in turn, "human, and... well, we're actually still working on hers. Sort of human."

His fiancee stuck her tongue out at him.

"Earth human? But that actually helps! The red egg is on Earth!" he said excitedly. "Come with me to the elders, maybe you could help us out!"

He led them to the Hall of Elders, where they were granted an audience almost immediately.

"Mr. Sobriek tells us that you are a Time Lord, accompanied by earthlings," the council head said solemnly. "This news is quite welcome, given the situation."

The Doctor nodded. "I won't allow this thing to threaten the Earth. I'm quite attached to that planet."

Another elder nodded. "The red hatching is due in thirteen hours, sir. I fail to see how you are going to prevent it."

"You just watch us," Rose scowled, turning. "If you'll excuse us, not much time..."

"You'll need to be aware of the Druth migration..." the council head called out.

Martha tipped her head. "The what?"

The Doctor smacked his head. "Of course, the Druth are little creatures, about the size of housecats, that flock around Reaper eggs. They're usually on this world... but if the last egg is on Earth..."

"Then the Druth are going to migrate there," Rose finished. "Great. Well, we've gotta stop the hatching still, right?"

"We can offer whatever assistance you find necessary," one of the council told them. "Please do not feel you will be doing this alone."

They headed back to the TARDIS and the Doctor immediately set the heading for Earth.

"I'm setting her to trace the egg and land near it," he informed the women, who were looking at the bows and arrows the council had given them to take care of the Druth.

Martha shook her head. "If someone had told me a year ago that I would be doing this, I'd have just laughed at them."

Rose smiled. "If someone had warned me, he wouldn't had to ask twice."

"Twice?" her friend asked. "You must have made an impression on him."

"I guess I did," she smiled. "He was different then. Bitter, grumpy, so unhappy..."

"Then I picked up a jeopardy friendly, mouthy blonde who refused to listen or stay where I told her to," the Doctor teased.

His fiancee stuck her tongue out. "If I had listened, even once, you'd be dead. Or I'd be stuck in Pete's world with Mickey and Mum."

He nodded, looking away as a shadow passed his eyes. "I know..."

Martha nodded toward him and slipped out of the room while Rose moved to his side.

"Theta..." she murmured, touching his arm.

He turned and pulled her to him, burying his face in her hair. "Oh my Rose... when I think of all the ways I could have lost you... and everything that I have lost..."

"Shh," she soothed, wrapping her arms around him. "I'm here. If there's one thing I know from being human, it's that you can't spend your time being afraid of losing people. I'm here, and I love you. And I'm going to keep right on loving you. And if something happens some day and we do have to part... then I'm going to be grateful for every day we had together, not mourning the ones that never were."

He pulled back and cupped her face. "When did you get so smart?" he asked lovingly.

She grinned at him. "I read a lot."

The alarm sounded, alerting the Doctor that they had landed.

"Well, let's see where we've gone to," he said, tugging her to the controls.

"Martha! We landed!" Rose called out running the few steps with him. "How close did we get?"

"Pretty close, but we're going to need a cab. Even I don't want to run twelve miles."

"Well, let's go!" Martha called out, running for the door.

"You created a monster," Rose teased the Doctor.

He pulled her out too, laughing. "Me? I thought she was your friend?!"

They hailed a taxi and set out for the egg, Martha glancing at her watch. "What time is the hatching supposed to happen?"

"By your watch... 4:13 pm," the Doctor answered promptly.

"Cutting it kinda close, aren't we?"

They arrived and darted across the road.

"Doctor! Doctor! Doctor!" a woman shouted, running out of a shop and and toward them.

The three paused and stared at her, a bit surprised.

"Hello! Sorry, bit of a rush, there's a sort of thing happening, fairly important we stop it," the Doctor said with a smile.

The woman shook her head, obviously amazed. "My God, it's you, it really is you. Oh, you don't remember me, do you?"

Martha looked up at the sky. "We don't have time for this. Migration's started."

"Look, sorry," Rose said to her. "We've got a bit of a complex life. Things don't always happen to us in order. It isn't that we don't want to know you..."

He nodded. "Gets confusing, especially at weddings, I'm rubbish at weddings, especially my own."

"You'll be fine at the wedding," his fiancee laughed. "Unless we miss this egg."

The woman laughed. "Oh, my God! Of course, you're a time traveller. It hasn't happened yet! None of it, it's still in your future!"

"What hasn't happened?" the Doctor asked curiously.

The medical student tried to urge them along. "Doctor! Twenty minutes to red hatching!"

The woman looked down at a folder in her hands. "It was me. Oh, for God's sake, it was me all along. You got it all from me!"

Rose tipped her head. "Got what?"

She shook her head, pressing the folder into his hands. "Okay. Listen. One day you're going to get stuck in 1969. Make sure you've got this with you. You're going to need it."

"Rose! Doctor!" Martha practically screamed.

The Doctor was obviously torn. He wanted to talk to the woman more, obviously, but the hatching was pretty important. "Yeah, listen, listen, got to dash...things happening. Well, four things. Well, four things and a lizard."

The woman waved her hands with a bright smile. "Okay. No worries, on you go. See you around, some day."

They started to move off, but Rose turned back. "What was your name?"

"Sally Sparrow."

"Good to meet you, Sally Sparrow," the Doctor grinned.

Just then, a man walked up, gaping at them, obviously dumbstruck. Sally took his hand and grinned at them.

"Goodbye, Doctor. Rose. Martha," she beamed.

She turned and led the man away, into a shop, their arms wound around each other as they spoke quietly. The Doctor gave a final, fond look at Sally, then pulled Rose along as the three of them ran after the Reaper egg.

"Are the Reapers really lizards?" Rose asked.

He laughed loudly. "I really do love you. That whole conversation and your first question is whether Reapers are lizards."

She blushed a bit. "Well?"

"Not really," he said, still laughing as he pulled down a fire escape and they began to climb. "But something kind of close."

A creature, somewhere between a bird and a bat, flew by, dive bombing them. Before long there were several flying at them.

"I'd say we're close!" the Doctor called.

Rose fired one of her arrows into a Druth and it disappeared in a puff of red smoke. "What the hell?"

Martha fired and another puffed out of existence. "Is this normal, Doctor?"

He looked at one of the arrows. "Clever! I didn't examine these closely. They having homing chips. Hit the target, drag it back to what I'm guessing is a containment pen back on Krosillar."

"Move up," his fiancee nodded toward the roof. "We need to get that egg out of here too!"

Firing carefully into the flock of Druth, the three made it to the top of the fire escape just as the egg was beginning to move.

"How do we get it to the Vortex?" Martha asked, beginning to panic.

"Rose, grab the egg and I'll call the TARDIS to you like I did with the Racnoss. Then we'll open the panel on the console," the Doctor said quickly.

Rose nodded and darted forward, snatching the bright red egg, wincing as it cracked. The three people moved close as the ship materialized around them.

"Martha! Don't look into the light, the Vortex could possibly kill you!" Rose cried, moving to the console.

The Doctor opened the panel and she chucked the egg inside just as a long sharp claw burst through the shell and scraped against her arm. A golden tendril reached out from the vortex and wrapped around the wounded area and pulsed before unwinding itself and retreating.

"Are you okay?" the Doctor asked, closing the panel. "I thought it scratched you."

Martha opened her eyes and hurried over. "Your shirt's torn."

Rose looked closely. "It _did_ scratch me, but the Vortex touched me..."

He placed a hand on her arm. "That's twice..."

She laughed a bit. "Oh honestly, what else can it do to me? I'm not even human anymore."

The medical student was poking at his hand until he moved it and let her look. "Rose... you might want to check your biological make up again. Another touch may have changed you further."

"Later, later. We have something much more important to do now," she insisted.

"What's that?!" the other two asked.

Rose laughed. "Faire's on now."

A week later Rose woke to find the Doctor sitting at a desk, going through the folder that Sally Sparrow had given them. He seemed upset, so she climbed out of bed and went to him, rubbing his back.

"What's got you so tense?" she asked.

He reached up and took her hand, bringing it forward and kissing her palm. "Weeping angels."

"Weeping angels?" she repeated. "The statues?"

"Not always statues," he explained. "They're only statues when you're looking at them. When they aren't seen they can kill you."

She shook her head. "Why are you worried about those right now?"

He showed her the contents of the folder. "They're feeding on people on Earth."

She glanced through the items spread on the desk. "Love, we can go get rid of them once you've rested. I know our MO has always been dash right off and attack, but let's go after we've slept some this time."

He laughed a little. "What? We're using common sense now?"

She smiled, then covered a large yawn.

He stood and put his arms around her, walking her back to bed. "You win. We sleep first, then save the day."

They lay down and snuggled close, Rose asleep nearly immediately. As the Doctor watched her sleep, he noticed a tendril of gold escape as she exhaled. He frowned, remembering that he needed to run diagnostics on her again. He pulled her closer and kissed her forehead.

"Keep protecting her," he murmured to the TARDIS. "You know how much I need her, old girl. If I lose her now..."

The TARDIS hummed comfortingly and he sighed. Rose hummed slightly also and tightened her hold on him, mumbling sleepily, "...my Doctor... love you..."

Then he did smile and closed his eyes. "I love you, too, my Rose."

When the time travelers woke, the Doctor explained to Martha about the weeping angels and why they had to stop them from attacking people from the house at Wester Drumlin. She immediately agreed they needed to go stop them, but Rose hesitated.

"How do we stop them, Doctor?" she wanted to know.

"Well..." he hesitated. "I was thinking we just smash the statues..."

"Will that work on them?" Martha asked, a bit amazed at the simplicity of his plan.

The blonde woman laughed a bit. "I suppose we'll find out, won't we?"

They 'parked' the TARDIS just outside the house, looking around carefully. They opened the door and moved inside.

"Stay together," the Doctor said. "If you see an angel, watch it, don't even blink. They can attack in the very instant you close your eyes."

The two women nodded, both reaching out and grabbing the Doctor's coat. They tiptoed through the house, peeking around every corner.

"Doctor?" Rose asked. "Did we come to the house before Sally gave us the folder, or after?"

"Oh, that's a very good question," he replied.

"You didn't check that?!" Martha nearly shouted.

"Oi!" he exclaimed with a frown. "I do happen to have quite a bit on my mind. And that particular detail wasn't among the thoughts I was focusing on."

"Not the time!" his fiancée snapped.

They fell silent, continuing to search each room thoroughly. After finding nothing for nearly twenty minutes, they had just about decided that the angels weren't there. Rose moved into a room that might have been a conservatory at one point.

"You know… once we get the angels out of here, someone could fix this place up nice," she said thoughtfully, jumping when the door to the room slammed shut.

"Rose!" the Doctor and Martha cried in alarm as the blonde woman flew over and pounded on the door.

"Doctor!"

She turned around, screaming sharply. An angel was less than three feet from her, hands outstretched.

"Rose!" he shouted again, pounding the door furiously.

"Oh God… there's on in here…" she said, shaking.

"Don't look away from it, Rose!" Martha shouted. "Doctor, the sonic screwdriver!"

It felt like an eternity ticking away as Rose stared at the creature that wanted to kill her, and the man she loved worked to open the door. She heard a click and the door opened, the Doctor grabbed her hand, and she turned her head…

It was like being turned into a spitball; smashed, squeezed through a straw, and shot into a heap against a building. The three of them landed in a tangled mess, groaning.

"What the hell happened?" Martha asked. "Are we dead?"

"No," Rose answered, pulling herself away. "I refuse to believe that being dead hurts this much."

"We've been sent back in time," the Doctor sighed, sitting up. "I'm not sure when we were sent to, but that's what they do. They send you back and feed on the potential energy of your bypassed life."

"And the TARDIS is left there…" the blonde woman pointed out.

He nodded. "But I locked it. And unless one of you two gave them your key, they can't get in."

Both women felt around their necks, and Martha gave a mournful cry.

"Gave, no, but I have lost mine somehow!"

"Well, don't worry, I'm sure it will turn out all right. Right now, we need to figure out when and where we are," the Doctor shook his head, standing and helping them up.

"How long until we can go home?" Rose asked.

He shook his head. "I don't know yet."

They began traveling through the city, quickly discovering that they were in London, though the year was obviously somewhere in the late 60's or early 70's.

"1969!" the Doctor cried. "Sally Sparrow!"

"Of course," his fiancée said. "When we get back, remind me to give that woman a hug."

"So… we'll be here for a tick," Martha sighed, being practical. "We need a place to stay and obviously a way to feed ourselves. Guess we'll be getting jobs."

"You and I maybe," her friend smiled. "Not him. He's got to get everything in that folder set up and ready so we can get back home."

The Doctor blinked. That hadn't actually occurred to him. He didn't want Rose to work. He wanted her to be with him while he fixed things. The thought made him frown.

Don't pout," she said with a smile, knowing him well enough to know what he was thinking. "We'll find a flat that doesn't require we put money down first – at least that's more likely in 1969 – and we'll go find some work to pay for little things like rent, food, and clothes."

"Clothes?" he repeated.

The medical student laughed. "Yes, in case you didn't notice, we don't fit in all that well, and the TARDIS' wardrobe isn't here to choose from."

Flats were harder to come by than they had imagined. They looked at seven without luck. The first three wanted first month up front, the fourth and sixth refused because the Doctor and Rose weren't yet married, and the fifth and seventh didn't want a black woman living in their building.

They sat on a bench in the park, staring at the paper together.

"This is impossible," Martha shook her head.

"Not impossible, just frustrating," Rose corrected, ever the optimist of their group.

"Let's find the closest one and just go," the Time Lord suggested, without much hope.

"Oh my gosh…" Rose giggled. "There's an opening at the Powell Estates."

"That place is kinda… seedy," their friend said slowly. "Don't you think?"

The blonde woman flushed a deep red. "I… I need a moment…"

As she stood and moved away, the black woman realized she'd said something very wrong. "Help me understand, Doctor?"

He watched her walk away. "She grew up in the Powell Estates, she and her mother."

"Oh… how stupid I am…"

He patted her arm. "It'll work out. She loves you, Martha. She'll forgive you easily."

She nodded miserably. "Still… I only wish I hadn't said that."

"Why don't you go talk to her?" he said kindly to her. "I'll wait for you here."

She nodded and headed off after her friend. She caught up with her not far away.

"Rose, wait!"

"He told you?"

Martha nodded, linking arms with the woman who had become the best friend in the universe to her. "I'm sorry. I've been a bit of a snob. It never occurred to me that I might not only know someone who'd lived there, but that she'd be the most amazing person I'd ever met."

Her friend smiled and shook her head. "I'm not, but thank you. You're probably the best friend I've ever had, not counting the Doctor and Mickey."

"Who's Mickey?"

Rose stared into space for a few moments. "We grew up together, he and I. Everyone assumed we were gonna get married, and I guess we probably would have... but then I met the Doctor, and I knew that I needed more than the safe, ordinary life I'd have had with him."

Her friend stared at her in understanding. "What happened to him?"

"He chose a life in a parallel world where he could make a difference and be the man he was too afraid to be here."

Martha sighed. "Girl... you've almost lost as much as he has."

She smiled, though it was sad. "But I have him. And that's what I need most of all. Mum's happy with Pete. Mickey has the chance to really be someone. And I... I get to be with him, for the rest of our lives."

"However long that is," the black woman teased.

The two women laughed, their eyes caught by a man putting a sign in the window across the street. 'For Rent'.

"No way," Martha gaped. "Can it be that easy?"

Rose was already pulling her across the street. They burst through the door and saw the man going into a flat. "Hey! Wait!"

He looked back out, smiling at them. He rather reminded both women of someone's grandfather. "Can I help you girls?"

"My sister, and her fiancée and I are looking for a place to live," Martha jumped right in, ignoring his double take as she said sister. "We were sort of dumped in London this morning, and we've got nothing. But we're gonna get jobs, and please, oh please say your for rent sign was meant for us!"

Rose grabbed her hand, every inch as hopeful. "Everywhere we've tried says no. Either we don't have a deposit or they're upset because I haven't had the opportunity to make it official... or they hate my poor sister for no good reason whatsoever."

The older man put a hand on both girls' arms. "Ladies, breathe. You two remind me of my granddaughter, and I don't want you on the street anymore than I would her. Let me talk to the missus, and you bring your fellow around for me to meet. What're your names?"

"I'm Martha Jones, and this is Rose."

"And your young man, Miss Rose Jones?"

Rose didn't correct him. There wasn't a point, really. Martha answered for her.

"John Tyler. You'll really like him, sir."

He just laughed. "Well, go get him and I'll get the sign."

They both kissed the old man's cheeks and ran for the door. They didn't stop running until they nearly fell, skidding to a halt before the Doctor.

"Your talk go that well?" he laughed.

"We might have found a flat!" his fiancée exclaimed. "Come meet the landlord! Oh, and my name is Rose Jones at the moment, and this is my sister, Martha."

"But your name is the same as when I first met you," her 'sister' grinned. "John Tyler."

"He ought to be a writer, don't you think?" Rose asked, pulling him to his feet. "Explains why he's not getting a regular job."

Martha shook her head. "Inventor is more like. Explain anything weird he makes while we're here."

"You know that 'he' is still right here?" the Doctor couldn't help but laugh as the two propelled him to their destination. Whenever Rose was smiling, he couldn't help but feel upbeat.

They knocked on the door, smiling hopefully when an older woman with a sweet smile opened it.

"Oh, you must be Doug's girls he was just talking about. He's in the kitchen, but you come right in," she stood back, looking at them. "So… you aren't married, and obviously you're a little black, honey, and none of you have jobs, but you need to live somewhere."

The three of them nodded, walking into the flat a bit apprehensively.

"Oh relax, kids," she laughed. "No matter what Doug says, I do not bite."

"Millie, that them?" Doug called, coming out of the kitchen. "There you are. This John?"

The Doctor nodded and held his hand out. "John Tyler. Nice to meet you."

Rose looked around curiously, suddenly missing her mother. The little domestic things in Doug and Millie's home were the sort of things Jackie might have. She wondered if Pete was treating her well, and if the baby had been a boy or a girl. She dropped her eyes to the floor, hoping no one noticed the unshed tears that sprang suddenly to her eyes.

"So, the girls were saying they're going to get jobs, what do you do?" Doug asked the Doctor.

He shrugged. "It's hard to explain. At the moment I'm trying to rectify some anomalies in time and I have to record a few codes and procedures for future insertion into technology that hasn't been created yet. I also need to figure out how to check for other anomalies."

Both the older people blinked at him for several seconds. Martha gaped. She couldn't believe he would just _tell_ them everything like that.

Well, son," the landlord said after a moment, "that doesn't make a single bit of sense to me, but it sure as heck explains why you aren't in the regular job market."

Martha covered her face with her hand.

"Don't you worry about it, sweetie," Millie said, rubbing her back. "We had a nephew a lot like him. Smart as whip, but he never did make it into the science world like he tried. Poor thing died in a car accident just two weeks before his wedding."

"That's awful!" the black woman sympathized.

Rose started to cry and the Doctor moved immediately to her side and wrapped his arms around her. He shushed her, holding her close.

Looking guilty, the older woman bit her lip. "Come on, Martha, honey. Let's get some tea together."

They moved into the kitchen, leaving the couple alone with Doug.

"Hey sweetheart," the older man moved closer. "Don't you cry, now. Millie and I are gonna let you stay here, and we'll look after you. We don't have any of our own kids anymore, just the one granddaughter who doesn't come home nearly enough. She's been off getting to know her father's people, so I can't blame her. You smile for old Doug, and we'll show you the flat after we get some tea into you. I'm willing to bet you haven't eaten anything today, have you?"

"I'm s-sorry," she sniffed. "I just… Millie makes me miss my mum…"

Her fiancée kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry, love."

"I keep telling you, it's not your fault. But I am a bit peckish."

After being stuffed by the couple, they were taken to see a small, two bedroom flat with a view of the park. They decided on a rent, and a schedule to pay while they got established. They even loaned the three pillows and blankets until they could get some furnishings. Millie stuffed several days worth of groceries into the small fridge.

"Mum would love this," Martha grinned at the 'modern' appliance. "It's so retro!"

"Take a picture on your phone," Rose suggested. "That way you can show her when you visit next."

Her 'sister' grinned. "I haven't really seen her since I started running around with you two. Don't you ever take your companions visit their families?"

"Not really," the Doctor answered absently, looking in a small linen cupboard.

Rose blinked. "We visited my mum pretty often."

He blushed slightly. "Well… you were a bit different, weren't you? I couldn't exactly love you and not do everything possible to make you happy."

Martha sighed. "I wish I had that. One of these days, a man is going to have a lot to live up to."

The blonde moved over and kissed his cheek. "I love you too. But we're going to have to sleep soon. Got to find us some work tomorrow. I'm thinking waitress, because I refuse to work in a shop again. Not since you blew the last one up."

"I got you out first."

"Grabbed my hand and said run," she teased, her tone loving.

"And I'm not letting go, ever," he promised seriously.

"Going to bed now!" Martha announced loudly, heading off the obvious ending to that line of conversation.

When they were alone, snuggled together on their pallet, the Doctor brushed the hair out of her face and looked at her searchingly.

"Rose… Millie's story has me thinking."

"About what?"

"What would happen if one of us were to…"

"Doctor," she warned.

He kissed her. "I want you to be my wife, my Rose. I don't think we should wait anymore."

She gasped. "Oh… Theta, you mean it? But… how are we…?"

"I don't know, but as soon as we get it worked out, I plan to make you and I one."

She hugged him tightly. "I can't wait."

The next day turned out well for the stranded time travelers, as both women got jobs, right across the street from each other. Martha immediately liked the woman who hired her at a fashionable clothing store. Her interview was like meeting a new friend.

Hi," she said, walking into the store. "I'm Martha Jones, and I was hoping to ask about the job in the window?"

"I'm Ginger Harris, Martha. You have any experience in sales?" a tall brunette smiled.

She grimaced. "Not really. But I'm smart and ready to do whatever needs done, and I can hold my tongue even when I'd rather not."

Ginger laughed. "Now _that_ is a talent to brag about. Tell me about yourself?"

They moved further into the store, back to the dressing rooms where a pile of clothing had to be put back onto hangers and returned to the racks. Without really thinking about it, Martha started helping while she talked. "I just got into town with my sister and her fiancée and we were kind of stranded without a dime to our name and only the clothes on our back. We've got no way home, and really nothing to our names."

"That's awful!" the shop manager gasped, hanging up a dress and shaking out some of the wrinkles.

"I know, and Rose and John really want to get married and make it official, but I just can't see any way we can make it happen until we get our hands on a steady source of income," the black woman sighed, folding a pair of slacks so that the hems and seams lined up.

"No, that would be hard."

"I just want to help, you know? We've been traveling together for a while now, and I do what I can to pitch in, but I just want them to be happy."

Ginger nodded. "I understand, hon."

Before she knew it had happened, she'd been helping around the store for around a half hour. Another woman walked in, asking about the job, and Ginger shook her head.

"Sorry, I filled the spot and forgot to get the sign out of the window."

After the woman left, Martha frowned. "You filled the spot? Then why'd you interview me?"

The manager laughed. "Honey, you've been working here for the last half hour. You really think I'm not gonna keep you now?"

Martha laughed with her. "One last question. Are there any rules about setting up a tab for clothes for me and my family?"

Across the street, Rose was being leered at by a man who agreed to hire her before he barked at a black woman, the only other server in the place, to take her to the back to get her a uniform. The girl winked at Rose and took her to the back room, locking the door as they entered.

"Why'd you lock it?" the blonde asked.

"Jake's a perv. He'd likely open the door while you're changing and claim it was an accident. I'm Sally Lawson."

Rose held out a hand, smiling as she shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, Sally. I'm Rose Jones. Is he really awful?"

She laughed. "He'll stare at you all creepy like, but he doesn't interfere in the running of the restaurant much. And I heard some of your story while you were talking to him. The cook, Big George, is my oldest brother. I'll tell him how you're kinda dumped here with your sweetie and sister, and he'll make sure you've got something to take home after your shift."

"That is so sweet of you," the newly hired woman said warmly.

Sally waved a hand, pulling out a fairly short, bright teal dress with cap sleeves. "Here's the uniform. Very few can pull this color off, but you and I obviously look good in everything. The orange apron leaves a bit to be desired, but Jake's not known for his taste."

Rose couldn't help but laugh at her. She liked Sally very much. "Well, he can't be all bad. He hired both of us."

The other woman grinned. "I knew I liked you, Rose Jones. Let's get you changed and started with some tables so you can hopefully get a few pounds to take home with you."

That evening, Rose had managed to get five pounds in tips and three salads, though Big George said he didn't see why a skinny little thing like her wanted all the dressing for a sandwich without the sandwich. The moment they entered the flat, the Doctor hugged the two tightly.

"Finally!" he grinned. "I was going mad! There is nothing to do here!"

Rose laughed. "So start laying out a list of things that have to be done according to the folders Sally Sparrow gave you. Then at least you'll know what's needed to get us home."

Martha nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me. Before you start heading out, come get some clothes from the store. Ginger's letting us have a tab until I've gotten a few paychecks. I'm making fifty pounds a week, that's pretty good, I think."

"Sally Lawson, at the diner, says I can make five to ten a day there, even if I do have to close every night."

"I'm closing too!" the medical student laughed. "Good thing both places close at eight."

After several days, life settled into a sort of routine. Rose and Martha went to work, one woman bringing home fun clothes, and the other cash and food. The Doctor began getting things to both furnish their temporary home and build equipment to do all the things that had to be done so they could get the TARDIS back. Martha's first day off consisted of going with the Doctor to check out the house at Wester Drumlin, and plant a message under the wallpaper. Rose's first day off consisted of going to meet one Katherine Costello Nightingale Wainwright.

Her house was at the end of a quiet street, where kids rode bicycles and jumped rope, and neighbors chatted over hedge rows. A preteen boy with sandy hair and bright blue eyes said hello to them from Kathy's front yard, then ran inside.

The Doctor couldn't help but chuckle. "I love humans. So different at every stage of life."

Rose smiled and shook her head as he knocked on the door. A kind eyed older woman opened it and tipped her head.

"Can I help you?"

"Katherine Wainwright?" the Doctor asked. "Katherine Costello Nightingale Wainwright?"

She blinked. "Do I know you?"

Rose shook her head and pulled something out of her pocket. "No, but you're the only one in this city likely who knows what this is." She held up her mobile.

The older woman gasped. "Oh my word, Wester Drumlin?"

At their nod she ushered them inside. Seating them in the parlour, she shooed the boy off to play and brought in a pitcher of lemonade and some glasses.

"It's been so long since all that," she said, sitting in a chair near them. "How did you know to find me?"

"Sally Sparrow, actually. She and your brother gave us information that's helping us get our time machine back. There's nothing we can do to give you back the life that was stolen from you, but-"

Kathy shook her head, interrupting the Doctor. "No, I wouldn't want it if you could. I wouldn't give up any of the time I've had with my Ben."

Rose reached for her fiancée's hand. "I know just what you mean, Kathy. You'll always love and miss those you left, but you know you're right where you were meant to be."

She looked between the young couple and smiled softly. "Yes exactly. I see you know what I mean."

"And every minute is worth it," the younger woman nodded, looking meaningfully at the Doctor.

He looked at Kathy thoughtfully. "You really would rather have been trapped in 1920?"

Kathy patted his hand. "Life is a series of moments, dear boy. The key to living is finding someone who makes you happy and sharing those moments with them. If you stay focused on the possibility of losing people or regretting something, all you'll have in the end is regret."

Rose laid her head on the Doctor's shoulder and he looked down at her blonde hair. After a few long, thoughtful minutes, he said, "I think I understand you perfectly. But this isn't really why we came. You need to write a letter to Sally."

Whatever Kathy had been expecting, this was not it. "I beg your pardon?"

"Part of what gets our home back to us is the letter that Sally gets from you," the younger woman explained. "Don't you want your best friend and brother to know you loved them, as you'll no longer be able to be with them?"

She nodded. "Yes. I've thought about doing just that so many times. But I wasn't sure how I would get it to her."

"I take a letter to someone for you, Grandmum," the boy said from the doorway."

"Ian! Have you been standing there listening when I told you to run along?" Kathy exclaimed.

His sheepish expression said yes he had been. "I'm sorry. But I can take a letter to someone for you."

Rose and the Doctor exchanged a look. The blonde woman smiled and looked to the boy. "Ian, do you keep your promises? No matter what?"

The boy nodded, moving into the room. "Granddad says if a man can't keep a promise, then he's no good as a man."

The Doctor beamed at the boy. "Right you are, brilliant."

"Ian," Rose said to him, holding out a hand. No one was surprised as the preteen boy went to her at once and took her hand. Her fiancée was reminded of the boys at the academy. "Sweet, you realize it's going to be a long, _long_ time before you can fulfill this promise, right?"

The boy nodded solemnly. "I promise that I will do it, if it makes Grandmum happy."

"Even if it takes you thirty eight years?" the Doctor asked.

Ian raised his chin stubbornly. "Even if it takes a hundred."

They left soon after that, there was no further reason to interrupt Kathy's life. The trip back to their flat was a quiet one, and the Doctor pulled Rose close for it. He thought it over seriously, and given the same choices his beautiful girl had, he would have chosen her over everything. Thinking over everything in his own life, he was pretty sure he would choose her over any of it. He took a detour...

A five and a half hour detour.

Rose was confused, until they departed the train at Gretna Green. "Doctor?"

"I've done some research... and people get married here," he said shyly.

She pulled him close. "We probably should have told Martha."

He grinned. "I did. She's the one who told me to go for it."

Rose laughed and kissed him lightly.

About an hour later, a priest had gone with them out into a field and the Doctor was speaking quietly with him while Rose tipped her face up to the sun, smiling at it's warmth. When the men finished speaking, her fiancée turned to get her attention and simply smiled at her.

She was beautiful, his Rose. Perfectly human and wonderfully his. She'd healed all the centuries of pain and torture he'd put himself through and gave him hope for a new life. As long as she was there, he didn't really need anything else. This was a religious ceremony, not a civil one, but he'd explained the few traditions that would bind them in the ways of the Time Lords.

"Rose," he said softly, holding out a hand.

She opened her hazel eyes and beamed at him, tip of her tongue poking out. "I can't believe we're finally doing this," she laughed, moving to him and taking his hand. "Are we going to run now?"

He sighed happily. "Only together, for the rest of our lives."

"I love you, Doctor," she smiled.

"I love you, my beautiful Rose."

"Are we ready?" the priest asked, smiling at the lovers.

The pair nodded, blushing slightly. The priest gestured for them to face him, and the Doctor pulled a cloth out of a pocket and handed it to him. It was crimson and gold, something like satin or silk, only so much more luxurious. The priest took the cloth and wrapped it around the wrists of their joined hands, the Doctor's left and Rose's right.

"In following the traditions of your homeland, as explained to me by this man who says his name is simply the Doctor, I bind your hands as one; one life, one journey, one adventure together," the officiate said with a smile.

He held out the small knife the Doctor had given him. It had seemed a rather barbaric custom, but he didn't judge those who simply wanted to express their love to one another.

"Do you trust me, Rose?" the Doctor asked.

"Forever," she replied with utter certainty.

He unclasped her hand, and turned his out to make a simple cut across his palm. "I open myself to you, my love and my life. I will hide nothing from you, not in deeds or thoughts."

As he offered the hilt of the blade to her, she almost cried at the beauty of his sentiment. To be offered everything in him... it was all she ever wanted. He nodded at her, indicating she should do the same. She took the blade, drawing it across her own palm.

"I open myself to you, my love and my life," she repeated, staring into his loving brown eyes. "I will hide nothing from you, not in deeds or thoughts."

The Doctor took the blade back, dropping it into one of his pockets, and clasped their hands together again, mixing their blood. The bits of the Time Vortex in Rose's blood caused a slight golden glow, which caused the priest's eyes to widen in surprise, but he kept calm and coontinued on. Deeply imbedded in the Doctor's DNA was the same Time Vortex, which allowed the Time Lords to travel throug, and it came to bear here, answering the call from his soulmate. Even the man from Gallifrey seemed surprised.

"And now, the Doctor will give his vow to Rose."

He took a deep breath. "Oh my beautiful, perfect pink and yellow human..."

Rose blushed. She had actually worn a yellow sundress with tiny pink flowers on it with pink flats. She really was pink and yellow for him.

He continued, "You saved me, my Rose. When I was certain that I had destroyed everything in my life, you came along and brought me back to myself. You made me better, made me whole. You charm the whole of the universe without even trying, and you're one of the most brilliant, clever creatures I've ever seen. I loved you from the moment you opened that door and yanked me into your mum's flat. You were so curious and brave and utterly adorable. When I tried to leave without you, I just couldn't. I knew I needed you in my life, and I know I always will."

The priest turned to Rose. "And now you will give your vow."

She took a few slow breaths and spoke, "Doctor... I began to fall for you the moment you grabbed my hand and said run. That day, everything that had been missing in my life fell into place and I finally knew where I belonged - with you. Before you came along, I was only half the woman I was meant to be, and with you I became fully me. I told you that I was going to stay with you forever, and I mean it even more now. Even if you try to send me away, I will always come back to you... and if you ever try to again, I'll slap you so hard you'll wish Mum had done it and saved you some pain."

He chuckled, but she saw the tears standing in his eyes, knowing full well they were in hers too. The priest smiled and placed a hand on their joined hands.

"Will you love, honor, and cherish your love?" He asked them both.

In unison, they answered, "I will."

"Will you protect them from harm, celebrate their accomplishments, and strive to be their port in every storm?"

As one, they again replied, "I will."

"And will you make the choice, every day you live, to love this person, and let them know they are loved every day they live?"

"I will," the couple swore, looking at each other.

"Then I pronounce you wed, in the eyes of God."

The glow intensified, and the Doctor leaned forward, whispering in her ear. Her eyes widened as the syllables sank into her mind _((which sadly, no one knows and therefore I can't put in)) _and she grinned, pulling him down to whisper in return.

"Bad Wolf."

Realizing she had given him her true name in exchange for his, the Time Lord cupped her cheek and kissed the woman... his wife...

The priest handed the newly wed couple a certificate of marriage. "Be happy together," he smiled, feeling he'd just witnessed something rather special. He walked back toward the little chapel he lived and worked in, humming happily to himself.

The Doctor and his bride stood for a long moment, gazing into each other's eyes, before deciding to return to their flat to share the news with Martha.

"What was the glow?" Rose asked as they rode the train back to London.

He shook his head, holding her close. "I've never seen it in any union I ever saw. It had something to do with the Vortex though, so maybe you can ask the TARDIS when we get her back?"

She nodded, playing idly with his tie. "Oh Doctor... we're married. We're really married!" Rose turned her hand over to stare at the faint line that now crossed her palm.

"Is that a good thing, my Rose?" He asked anxiously.

She smiled broadly up at him. "Good? It's bloody brilliant," she insisted.

They kissed lovingly, unaware that those around them were smiling at the expression of pure adoration on both their faces.

When they finally returned to their flat, Martha was bouncing up and down as she waited. Seeing the ecstatic looks on the faces of her friends, she squealed and threw her arms around them.

"Soon as we get the TARDIS back, you two have to get wedding bands. Something special," she grinned. "And a honeymoon! I can visit my family and let you be alone. Oh, this is so wonderful!"

Rose laughed at Martha's enthusiasm, and felt a wave of delight from the Doctor. She blinked, shook her head and glanced at him, while he looked at her in shock.

"I'm going to bed," their friend giggled, oblivious to their shock.

The newly married couple went to their room and began getting ready for bed. The Doctor still didn't sleep much, but he loved to lay with Rose. In the TARDIS he would wait until she fell asleep and go to the library or the control room. Here, he just lay next to her, thinking and watching her. Tonight, though, she didn't seem to be tired.

"Did you feel that?" she asked, as she climbed between the sheets of their bed.

He crawled in next to her and wrapped his arms around his new wife. "That bit of emotion that wasn't quite mine? I did... but I shouldn't have."

"The glow... I think it connected us somehow." Rose snuggled to him.

"You might be right, but until we get home we can't test it," he said, suddenly grinning. "Wife."

She blinked up at him, tongue in teeth grin on her face. "Husband."

He bent to kiss her, tangling his hand in her blonde hair, and they forgot to talk anymore that night.

Their lives returned to the established routine, Rose and Martha working while the Doctor made his inventions and searched for anyone who might have been thrown back as well.

Rose told Sally that she and 'John' had run off to Gretna Green on her day off and gotten married, and the girl announced it to the whole restaurant. The blonde woman blushed deeply as the customers all cheered, and Big George stuck his head out of the kitchen and said he'd cook something special for the reception. Rose shook her head in confusion.

"Reception?" she repeated blankly.

Sally grabbed her arm. "You have to have a reception! A party for your friends to celebrate your wedding!"

The newlywed laughed. "Small party! I think we may know five or six people!"

"We'll have it here!" Sally insisted.

The door opened, and Martha entered on her lunch break.

"Hey, Martha," Big George greeted her before ducking back into the kitchen.

"My brother fancies your sister," Sally laughed. In a louder voice, she addressed the other woman. "Martha, don't you think we oughta throw a party for the newlyweds?"

Rose simply smiled and took a plate and some more tea to one of the regulars, who tucked a fiver into her apron pocket.

"Many happy returns," the man smiled at her.

"Oh Mr. Peterson, you don't have to..."

"I know I don't," the older man winked. "But I remember starting out with my Ellie. She'd want me to help out a nice girl like you."

Smiling, she went back to the counter, where Martha was eating a grilled cheese sandwich and planning a party with Sally.

"Really," she said. "I don't need a party."

"Of course not," her 'sister' grinned. "But we do."

And they did. Two nights later, Big George, Sally, their mother and two brothers, Doug and Millie, and Ginger were all in the flat where Martha, Rose, and the Doctor lived. They had brought food and gifts. The Doctor was thrilled to be part of an Earth celebration, but he was a little embarassed by the attention. They had certainly made a few good friends in their time in that decade.

A week or two passed, and the Doctor showed his wife and friend a new thing he'd managed to build, a device to track other time travelers, especially recently landed ones.

"Let's try it out!" Rose immediately said.

Martha hesitated. "What if it takes us to someone who isn't... nice?"

The other woman patted her arm. "I wouldn't worry so much, sis. The Doctor and I have met lots of not nice people in our time together. We know how to deal with them."

Her husband kissed her cheek and smiled. "Besides, we have to meet D.I. Billy Shipton, here's the picture." He handed a picture of a handsome black man to Martha. "He's our last link to complete. Well, him and some video equipment to record this message. I need someone to keep it afterward, or I'd have already recorded it."

Rose stood. She'd been stuck in a normal life too long, she was ready to get back to her adventures with her Doctor. "Come on! We need to test it!"

He grinned and stood with her, tugging a reluctant Martha behind him. They all laughed as they jogged down the stairs and out the door, waving to Doug as he peeked out the door at they noise. The older man just laughed and shook his head as he shut the door again.

They jogged through the town, joking and laughing. It was a bit after ten at night, and nothing was exactly open in this neighborhood, but the three were well used to entertaining each other. It wasn't long before the machine began making noises, and they followed it excitedly.

They turned a corner just in time to see a man that looked like the picture of Billy hit his back against a wall, falling to the ground. They ran to him immediately.

"Welcome," the Doctor called to him.

The man looked at them with wide eyes, obviously shocked. "Where am I?"

Martha checked him for signs of injury and concussion, her professional demeanor encouraging the unintentional time traveler to sit still and submit.

"1969. Not bad,as it goes. You've got the moon landing to look forward to," the Time Lord said distractedly, looking at his machine.

Rose sighed, "Oh, the moon landing's brilliant. We went four times, remember Martha? Back when we had transport..."

The Doctor looked up, laughing at his wife's teasing. "Working on it!"

The two women laughed, but their fellow victim frowned.

"How did I get here?"

"The same way we did. The touch of an angel. Same one, probably, since you ended up in the same year," the man with the machine said thoughtfully.

Billy started to get to his feet, but Rose put a hand on his arm and smiled. "No no no no no, don't get up."

"Time travel without a capsule, nasty. Catch your breath, don't go swimming for half an hour," the Doctor nodded.

"I don't... I can't..." The newcomer was at a loss for words.

The Doctor stared into space for a moment. "Fascinating race, the Weeping Angels. The only psychopaths in the universe to kill you nicely. No mess, no fuss, they just zap you into the past and let you live to death. The rest of your life used up and blown away in the blink of an eye. You die in the past, and in the present they consume the energy of all the days you might have had, all your stolen moments. They're creatures of the abstract. They live off potential energy."

Billy gaped at him as one might a crazy person. "What in God's name are you talking about?"

Martha smiled as though he were in on some joke they hadn't told him yet. "Trust me. Just nod when he stops for breath."

"You're scaring him, love," the blonde woman nudged her husband.

He nodded and tried again. "Tracked you down with this. This is my timey-wimey detector. It goes ding when there's stuff. Also, it can boil an egg at 30 paces, whether you want it to or not, actually, so I've learned to stay away from hens. It's not pretty when they blow."

Both women made faces of disgust.

The black man groaned and rubbed his head. "I don't understand. Where am I?"

"1969, like he says," the medical student said simply.

"Martha, you're getting as bad as the Doctor," Rose chided. "I shouldn't have let you spend so much time with him."

The Doctor knelt next to the man on the sidewalk. "Normally, I'd offer you a lift home, but somebody nicked my motor. So I need you to take a message to Sally Sparrow. And I'm sorry, Billy, I am very, very sorry. It's gonna take you a while."

Before long, they were taking their new friend back to their flat, where the Doctor and Rose offered him their bed, since the Doctor didn't sleep and Rose was small enough the couch was more than adequate for her to stretch out. They let him rest while they discussed how to help him adjust as they finished everything up.

Rose chewed her lip thoughtfully. "You'll have to talk to Doug and Millie tomorrow, love. I guess… tell them he's a friend who fell on hard times and needed a place to stay."

"It's true enough," Martha agreed with a yawn.

The Doctor smiled fondly at them. "Bed, human girls. You both have to work tomorrow still. I have some work to do, and I'll take care of our guest tomorrow. I'm quite the domestic now."

They laughed, but took his suggestion, heading to their beds for the night. The Doctor sat on the couch, his wife's head in his lap and stroked her hair as she fell asleep. He did have much to do, but when Billy rose just a few hours later and wandered into the room, he found them still in that position.

"So… 1969, huh?" he asked experimentally.

The man on the couch raised his head and looked at him. "Hmm? Oh, yes. Definitely. We've been here… oh, two or three months now. It's the longest I've stayed in one place in a long while."

He nodded, sitting in a chair nearby. "So… we're all stuck in the past?"

The Doctor glanced down at the form sleeping in his lap. "Not exactly. You are… yes. But I'll be heading to something called the Time Vortex. I'm a time traveler, and Rose, here, is my wife. She travels with me, fixing problems throughout the universe. Martha's sort of… well… a student."

"So you're all gonna leave, and have to stay here? Why?" the man demanded.

"I'm sorry, please keep your voice down. Whatever anger you feel can be expressed all you like after these two go to their jobs in the morning. But for now, they need to sleep," the Doctor said sternly. "They've both been working very hard to get and furnish this apartment, and it's yours when we go. I know it's hard to hear that everything you knew is gone, but trust me when I say that I have to leave you here in the past if I'm going to save hundreds, maybe thousands from the same fate and possible irreparable damage to the entire timeline of Earth."

The police officer in Billy woke at those words. He couldn't let whatever happened to him happen to more people, and he certainly couldn't stand by while the whole of Earth suffered at the hands of whatever had attacked him.

"I understand… I don't like it, and it's going to be hard as hell getting used to it, but I understand."

The Doctor smiled gratefully at him. "You never know, Billy. Maybe you'll find something worth staying for in this time."

"To be honest, mister, I'd better find lots worth staying for. If I have to live my life here, I'm going to live, not hide away wishing for something I can't even have."

Good for you, Billy," Rose's sleepy voice said. "If you two are going to chat all night, can I have the bed?"

Both men had the grace to be abashed at her words.

"Yes, ma'am," the detective said. "I'm sorry I woke you."

"You didn't, really," she yawned, sitting up and smiling softly before standing. "The Doctor stopped playing with my hair. You fellows talk, I'll see you in the morning."

She dropped a kiss on the Doctor's cheek before padding sleepily toward her room and going to bed. The two men stayed up, quietly discussing the problem of the weeping angels, how the Doctor planned to fix it, and how Billy could help. The man confessed that he'd always wanted to be in the film industry, especially in the 70's as it was really taking off and doing such big things.

The next day, after taking Billy around to apply for a few jobs that they could find for studios and the like, and grabbing some video equipment that the Doctor cheated and used the psychic paper to borrow, the two men dropped by the restaurant to wait for Rose and Martha to finish working.

"Hello, love," Rose beamed as they walked in.

"Hello Rose, how's your day?" the Doctor smiled back, always happy to see her.

She filled glass of water for a woman and took away the empty plate on the table. "It's a very nice day, actually. How's yours?"

"Better now," he said.

"Martha was right this morning," Billy shook his head. "You two are almost too much."

"Don't you believe it, Rosie," Sally said carrying a box of napkins up from the back. "You're wonderful and you give me hope." She dropped the box and blinked at Billy. "Oh, who's your friend there?"

The black man grinned, clearly appreciating the woman in front of him. "Billy Shipton, and you are…?"

She ducked her eyes a bit. "Sally Lawson. I work with Rose."

The woman in question winked at the Doctor. "I think Billy just found his reason to stay."

Sally became a frequent visitor to their apartment after that, and Billy shared their secret with her, but she never told anyone. She found it great fun to be a part of everything, but she was perfectly content with her life and had no interest in going anywhere else in time. Billy got a job in film as a cameraman for a low budget movie. It seemed everything was going to be okay.

The night they filmed the 'conversation' for Sally Sparrow. It was almost like a small party, as it was the four of them in the flat, and Sally visiting. They laughed and teased during the rehearsals and couldn't help the same attitude throughout the actual taping.

The Doctor was fairly certain he looked like an idiot on the camera as Rose and Martha mimed the bits of the script he didn't say while making absolutely ridiculous faces that had him trying not to laugh.

"Yep. That's me," he grinned at the camera.

Rose placed a shocked hand over her heart, acting utterly shocked.

"Yes, I do," he said then, his eyes warning her to stop.

She grinned unrepentantly at him and shook her head at Martha, both now shaking their heads as though terribly disappointed in him. Sally and Billy were even grinning now.

"Yep, and this."

Rose and Martha pretended to be arguing over the script, while the Doctor fought back his laughter.

"Are you going to read out the whole thing?"

They all laughed then, just out of sight, and the man in front of the camera rolled his eyes, smiling broadly. He couldn't help it.

"I'm a time traveller. Or I was. I'm stuck in 1969."

With a mad laugh, Martha darted over to his side and looked in the lens. "We're all stuck. All of space and time, these two promised me. Now I've got a job in a shop, I've got to support him! Even Rose is working! Our precious little hands!"

"Martha!" he exclaimed, even as his wife sagged with laughter. "Oi! Rose! Not helping!"

Martha sniggered as she moved back to her place. "Sorry."

Trying to appear as though he still had some semblance of control, he said solemnly, "Quite possibly."

The blonde woman waggled her eyebrows at him, seeming like she was going to do something more to mess with him while taping.

"'Fraid so," he said, shaking his head to warn Rose to stay off camera. "38."

Martha and Sally decided to start tossing bites of food over the camera into each other's mouths, and the man who had to talk fought his smirk.

"People don't understand time. It's not what you think it is… Complicated… Very complicated."

Rose walked over and sat in his lap, blocking him from sight. "He's rubbish at explaining things, you know. I've been traveling with him for years, and he still forgets to tell me about things. And now that we're married, he just assumes I know everything he does!"

"Rose! Really?"

She kissed him and moved back out of sight.

He groaned. "People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff."

His wife blew him a kiss, grinning unrepentantly.

"It got away from me, yeah," he chuckled. "Well, I can hear you... Not hear you exactly, but I know everything you're going to say... Look to your left."

The Doctor covered his face with a hand as all four people facing him did a massively overdone comic take of looking left. "I've got a copy of the finished transcript. It's on my Autocue. Although how I can focus while I let these people in the room..."

His Sally and Martha began dancing a sort of tango, and he smirked and shook his head. "I told you. I'm a time traveller. I got it in the future."

Rose knew he was coming to the serious part. She'd read the script as often as him, and moved to take his hand in support. "What matters is we can communicate. We have got big problems now. They've taken the blue box, haven't they? The angels have the phone box... Creatures from another world... Only when you see them."

He barely registered the other three people in the room as he glanced down at Rose's hand in his. He could do anything with her at his side. Even get his TARDIS back. He looked into the camera and explained the Weeping Angels. "Lonely assassins, they were called. No-one knows where they came from. They're as old as the universe, or very nearly. They've survived this long as they have the most perfect defence system ever evolved. They are quantum-locked. They don't exist when being observed. The moment they're seen by any other living creature they freeze into rock. No choice. It's a fact of their biology. In the sight of any living thing, they literally turn to stone. And you can't kill a stone. Course, a stone can't kill you either. But then you turn your head away, then you blink, and oh, yes it can! ... That's why they cover their eyes. They're not weeping, they can't risk looking at each other. Their greatest asset is their greatest curse. They can never be seen. The loneliest creatures in the universe. And I'm sorry, I am very, very sorry, it's up to you now...The blue box, it's my time machine. There is a world of time energy in there they could feast on forever. The damage they can do can switch off the sun. You have got to send it back to me!"

He sighed heavily, fear for the unknown couple building. He had seen them, he knew they would survive, but the program he had to use to trap the angels would scare them to death. Rose squeezed his hand and he began speaking again. "And that's it, I'm afraid. There's no more from you on the transcript, that's all I've got. I dunno what stopped you talking, but I can guess. They're coming. The angels are coming for you. But listen, your life could depend on this. Don't blink! Don't even blink. Blink and you're dead. They are fast, faster than you can believe. Don't turn your back, don't look away, and don't blink! Good luck!"

Martha, Sally, and Billy sobered as he spoke at the end. After the camera was off, Sally spoke.

"That's what happened to you all, isn't it? You got zapped by those angels."

They all nodded somberly. The Doctor looked at Billy. "You understand why now, don't you? Why I can't take you back?"

He looked up, meeting the other man's eyes. "Yeah. I have to be the one that plants it all, or this will all fail. And that's okay."

Sally wrapped her arms around the man. "You ain't doing it alone, Billy Shipton. You might be stuck here, but you ain't stuck alone."

The detector that warned them of Billy's arrival went off, indicating something very nearby. The Doctor and Martha went to the windows, but stopped and turned at the sudden shout from the couple at the camera. Rose stood in the center of the room, eyes glowing gold as she smiled.

"Oh... I missed that feeling," she murmured before she blinked and her eyes returned to their normal hazel. "I didn't even realize I could feel her that well."

Her husband moved to her side. "You couldn't before. Does this mean the TARDIS...?"

Rose laughed. "She's here! She's close. Oh... home!"

Martha let out a whoop that even made Billy and Sally laugh.

"So, you're leaving then?" Sally asked. "I'm going to miss you all."

The three looked at each other thoughtfully, realizing for the first time that they couldn't just disappear like they usually did.

"Tomorrow," the Doctor decided. "We'll go tomorrow."

"Can we..." Billy started. "I know we can't go with you, but can we see this TARDIS?"

"Oh yes!" Rose exclaimed. "Doctor, let's show them."

Martha nodded eagerly. "I think Billy deserves at least that."

The five of them left the flat, Rose leading the way even though the Doctor had the detector. The blonde woman walked with confidence, her pace growing quicker and quicker until she was running. She came to a halt in front of a police box with a huge smile on her face.

"We've seen about a dozen of these," Sally complained breathlessly.

"Not like her," the Doctor said as he pulled his key out and opened his ship. He gestured for them all to go in, holding Rose back.

They laughed together as Billy and Sally had the standard reaction, exiting and moving around the box before going back in.

"It's bigger on the inside!" They laughed and exclaimed along with the other two.

The Doctor turned to Rose with a wicked grin. "There's an Earth custom I wanted to try when we got her back."

"What's that?" his wife asked curiously.

He scooped her up in his arms, laughing when she squealed and threw her arms around his neck.

"Doctor!"

He carried her into the TARDIS, grinning proudly as their three friends applauded for them. He looked down at her and bent to brush his lips against hers, murmuring softly, "Welcome home, my love."

They all slept in the TARDIS that night, heading out the next day to make their goodbyes. Ginger hugged Martha, saying she was the best employee she'd ever had. Big George told them he wished they had stayed, and Rose nudged her 'sister' with a grin. Doug and Millie hugged them all fiercely, promising that Billy was welcome to keep the flat as long as he wanted.

It was an emotional day, but it ended well, with the Doctor back at the controls of his beloved ship, and Martha and Rose nearby.

"Where to?" He asked with a grin.

"Sally Sparrow," Rose said suddenly. "We really ought to thank her."

He nodded. "I believe you really are right, my Rose."

"Of course I am."

Martha laughed as they moved forward in time, landing just outside a video and bookstore named Sparrow and Nightingale. They went into the shop, seeing no one but a teenager at the counter.

"We're looking for Sally Sparrow," the Doctor said with a smile.

"Nightingale," the kid corrected lazily. "Oi! Larry! Someone looking for your woman!"

The man they had seen so long ago, much more cleaned up now, came out of a back room with a wince. "You know she hates that. Are you trying to get me in trouble?"

The kid shrugged and Larry looked at the three people in his shop.

"It's you!" He said excitedly. "Oh wow. She'll be so... hang on!"

He stepped away and made a hurried phone call as the kid looked at them strangely. "Wait... Doctor! And Rose! And Martha! I thought Larry and Sally were crazy when they watched that."

"Well, they are, I'm sure," Rose teased, causing the kid to blush. "But we're real."

"Sally's coming," Larry said then. "Come on to the back."

The visit was short, but they learned Larry and Sally had gotten married. And, telling her about Billy and the other Sally, she said he had told her about his Sally.

When they left again, it was with a sense that everything had turned out just the way it should.

"Let's take the TARDIS to recharge on the rift at Cardiff for a little bit before we head anywhere else," the Doctor suggested, noticing his wife looked a bit tired.

"She'd like that," Rose nodded, sitting in the captain's chair and smiling.

_A/N: So! There you go. If you enjoyed this, please, oh please let me know. Also, if anyone would be interested, I'm considered beginning to post my original works on . I've been wondering if anyone would even be interested in reading it. So if you would want to see my original work, leave a review here and let me know. And! How'd you like the wedding?!_


	13. 0311 Utopia

_A/N: Here is the beginning of the end of season three. I am very excited to begin season four, but first, I must dig through some darkness that our favorite Master brings. I'm not good with darkness and violence, so forgive me for any shortcomings you notice in these. Also, I've gone back and read over past things, and I realize there are some discrepancies. Let's just agree to chalk it up to a woman with psychotic tendencies and move forward?_

The TARDIS materialized in Cardiff. The Doctor was at the console, Martha watching him set controls and such. Rose was walking around with her newest read, _The Origins of Time_. The two at the console exchanged a look, as Rose had been rather distracted since returning to the ship she called home. Usually it was like she was having a conversation without speaking.

"Cardiff," he announced, mostly to get Rose's attention.

"Tell me again? Why Cardiff?" Martha asked.

The Doctor frowned when his wife didn't even react. "Well, the thing about Cardiff is that it's built on a rift in time and space-just like California and the San Andreas Fault. The rift bleeds energy. Every now and then I need to open up the engines, soak up the energy and use it as fuel."

The medical student nodded. "So it's a pit stop."

"Exactly."

Rose looked up then, frowning slightly and looking around.

"Wait a minute," Martha said. "They had an earthquake in Cardiff a couple years ago. Was that you?"

He grinned and winked at her. "Bit of trouble with the Slitheen. Long time ago. Lifetimes. I was a different man back then."

Rose shuddered violently. "What _is_ that?"

The Doctor looked up. "What's what?"

"Something is so very... wrong. Completely wrong. It's upsetting her."

He nodded, watching her worriedly. "Well, we're all powered up. We'll just go somewhere else."

"Yes, that's best... ohh..."

She swayed and dropped her book, and Martha rushed to her side. The Doctor forgot he was trying to take off in his worry, until he looked down and saw Jack appear on the TARDIS monitor. A flood of panic coursed through him as he realized what was making his beautiful wife upset. He hit the launch button, and the console sparked. The three of them were thrown to the floor.

Martha crawled to her feet. "What's happening?"

He climbed to his feet and studied the readings. "We're accelerating into the future. The year one billion. Five billion. Five trillion. 50 trillion. What? The year 100 trillion. That's impossible!"

His wife still lay in the floor, almost crying. "Get it off! She's running away!"

Their companion looked between them, unsure what to do. "Why's the TARDIS doing this? What happens then?"

"We're going to the end of the universe," the Doctor and Rose answered together.

The TARDIS arrived at its chosen destination with a thud and the Doctor hurried to his love's side.

"She's trembling, Doctor," Rose murmured softly.

"So are you, but we've landed" he reassured her. "You can both rest now."

"So what's out there?" Martha asked.

"I don't know," he admitted.

Rose laughed weakly, sitting up a little more. "Make him say that again. That's rare."

The Doctor help the blonde woman stand. "Not even the Time Lords came this far. We should leave. We should go. We should really, really…go."

The three of them looked at each other and grinned widely before heading for the door. Outside was a bleak, dying landscape. As they stepped out, Martha saw a man on the ground.

"Oh my God!" She cried out, rushing to the fallen man's side and checking him. "Can't get a pulse. Hold on—you've got that medical kit thing."

As she disappeared back into the TARDIS, the man and his wife stood over the person lying on the ground.

"Don't worry Theta," Rose said, a certain weariness in her tone. "I undertand. I wouldn't know how to tell you either... He just feels… _wrong._"

He looked at her. "I _have_ been trying to figure out how, though. Do you know what happened to him?"

She nodded miserably. "My memories are hazy at best of that moment in time, but that second touch... I seem to know certain things about the time lines of those we take with us when I need to or something like that. I did it, as Bad Wolf. I'm so sorry..."

Martha rushed back then, elbowing them out of the way. "Here we go. Out of the way. It's a bit odd, though. Not very 100 trillion—that coat's more like World War II."

"I think he came with us," the Doctor sighed.

The medical student looked up in shock. "How d'you mean? From Earth?"

He nodded. "Must've been clinging to the outside of the TARDIS all the way through the vortex."

Rose sighed. "Well, that's very him."

"What? Do you know him?" Martha asked, surprised.

"Friend of ours," the Doctor told her. "Used to travel with us. Back in the old days."

"When you had the last face," Rose mused. "When I was still human."

Martha looked very sad for them. "But he's—I'm sorry, there's no heartbeat. There's nothing. He's dead."

Rose shook her head. "That won't stop him. I'm going to get a sweater."

Just as the TARDIS door closed behind her, Jack gasped as he came back to life, grabbing Martha, who screamed in shock.

"Oh well, so much for me," she laughed a little. "It's all right. Just breathe deep. I've got you now."

The incurable flirt grinned. "Captain Jack Harkness. And who are you?"

"Martha Jones," she answered, confused. Surely he wasn't flirting… seconds after being dead?

The newly alive man smiled charmingly. "Nice to meet you, Martha Jones."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Oh, don't start!"

"I was just saying hello," Jack defended himself, getting to his feet.

"You flirt often enough, Doctor," Martha teased him gently. "I don't mind someone flirting with me for a change."

"You flirt now, Doctor?" Jack asked coldly, glaring at the Time Lord.

The Doctor stared back, unable to keep from frowning at him, taken aback at his reaction. "When the mood strikes, Captain."

To his surprise, Jack actually snarled at him. "Good to see you're not dwelling on the past then."

He was glad that Jack seemed so protective of Rose, but he didn't understand the hostility. He had obviously made it off the Game Station, was he angry about that? "I'm glad to see you too, Jack, though you seem like a completely different man."

"You can talk!"

"Oh yes, the face. Regeneration. How did you know this was me?"

Martha looked between the two men and then toward the TARDIS. Rose could straighten this out, she was certain, but she was taking a long time.

"The police box kinda gives it away. I've been following you for a long time. You abandoned me," Jack accused.

"Did I? Busy life. Move on," the Time Lord said, seeming not to care.

Martha looked utterly shocked. She'd never heard him so cold before.

Jack hissed in pain. "It doesn't even matter, but was it just me, or did you leave her somewhere too? Before she... I mean... The Battle of Canary Wharf. I saw the list of the dead. It said Rose Tyler."

So that's why he was so upset about the Doctor flirting! He thought he'd abandoned Rose to her death. "Oh no! Sorry! She's alive!"

"You're kidding?!" The ex time agent was so relieved, he forgot to be angry.

"I certainly hope he isn't kidding, or the last few months have been extremely creepy," Rose's voice sounded from the door of the TARDIS as she came back out in a lavender sweater.

"Rosie!" Jack cried, sweeping her up in a crushing hug and swinging her around in a circle.

She laughed and hugged him tightly. Wrong or not, he was still her Jack.

"Harkness, put down my wife," the Doctor said with a mock growl, glad to see Rose smile. "Didn't I tell you, hands off the blonde?"

He sat her back on her feet, gaping at the Time Lord, then at Rose. She smiled serenely and held up her hand, the diamond sparkling in the dim light.

"I knew it! I didn't know he'd actually work up the nerve, but I knew he needed to keep you!"

Even Martha laughed at that. She immediately liked Jack. He obviously cared about these people who were so important to her, and that won him major points. Not to mention he was cute and had flirted with her.

"So, how did you meet them, Jack?" she asked curiously.

"I found a cute blonde hanging from a barrage balloon during the London Blitz with the Union Jack plastered on her chest, tried to con her, and found that she had already been claimed by an alien who didn't like to share," he said, grinning teasingly.

"I was not claimed!" Rose cried.

"Oh yes you were," the Doctor said, pulling her out of Jack's arms and into his. "Were then, are now."

She smiled lovingly at him while he bent to capture her lips with his own.

"They always like this?" Jack asked Martha with a happy grin.

"Worse sometimes," the medical student giggled. "Why did you stop traveling with them?"

Jack spun the tale of Station Five and how the Daleks were ready to murder them all but failed. "So there I was, stranded in the year 200,100, ankle-deep in Dalek dust, and he goes off without me. But I had this." He tapped the vortex manipulator on his wrist. "I used to be a Time Agent. It's called a vortex manipulator. He's not the only one who can time travel."

"Oh, excuse me. That is not time travel," the Doctor sniffed derisively. "It's like I've got a sports car and you've got a space hopper."

Martha laughed and winked at Rose. "Boys and their toys."

"These two are always like this," the blonde woman replied, smirking.

The Captain waved a hand. "All right, so I bounced. I thought '21st century, best place to find the Doctor' except that I got it a little wrong. I arrived in 1869 and this thing burnt out so it was useless."

"Told you," the Doctor said smugly.

"Rude," his wife scolded.

Jack pretended to be insulted. "I had to live through the entire 20th century waiting for a version of you that would coincide with me."

Martha blinked in shock. "That makes you more that 100 years old."

He winked, flirting again. "And looking good, doncha think? So I went to the time rift, based myself there 'cause I knew you'd come back to refuel. Until finally I get a signal on this detecting you and here we are."

The medical student looked away from her new friend. "But the thing is, how come you left him behind, Doctor?"

"I was busy," the Doctor said, looking determinedly at the horizon. Beside him, Rose dropped her eyes guiltily.

For the first time, Martha wondered about her place with them. "Is that what happens, though? Seriously? Do you just get bored with us one day and disappear?"

"Not if you're blonde," Jack said snippily, unable to stop a little bit of bitterness from seeping into his tone.

"That's enough," Rose snapped, as protective of her Doctor as he was of her. "It was my fault, not his, Jack; and Martha, you ought to know better than to think we would just chuck you out. Both of you stop acting like the man who's saved both your butts is the enemy. I'm sorry we left you, Jack, but at the time the Doctor thought I was dying and he was fighting a regeneration."

"Honestly, you all!" the Doctor laughed. "We're at the end of the universe. All right? We're at the edge of knowledge itself and you're busy…blogging! Come on."

He walked to the edge of the nearby canyon that looked like it once held a city of some sort, gesturing for them to look.

"Is that a city?" Martha gasped, finally noticing the scenery.

He grinned. "A city or a hive. Or a nest. Or a conglomeration. Looks like it was grown. But look there. That's like pathways, roads…Must have been some sort of life. Long ago."

"What killed it?" she asked.

"Time," Rose sighed, keenly experiencing the sort of end feeling all around them.

"Everything's dying now," her husband said softly, holding a hand out to her. "All the great civilizations have gone. This isn't just night. All the stars have burned up and faded away into nothing."

She pressed herself to his side, trying to block it out.

Jack looked around, amazed. "It must have an atmospheric shell. We should be frozen to death."

"Well, Martha and I, maybe," the Doctor shrugged. "The TARDIS wouldn't let something like that happen to Rose. And I'm not so sure about you, Jack."

Rose shook her head, not wanting to think about that either.

"What about the people? Does no one survive?" Martha murmured forlornly.

"I suppose we have to hope. Life will find a way," the Time Lord said softly, putting his arms around his wife and drawing comfort from her presence.

"Well, he's not doin' too bad," Jack said, pointing to a man who was running along one of the pathways barely ahead of others who were chasing him.

Frowning, the Doctor stared hard at the chase. "Is it me, or does that look like a hunt? Come on!"

The four of them ran along a roadway toward the man being hunted.

"Oh, I've missed this!" Jack laughed loudly.

They reached the man and Jack grabbed hold of him.

"I've got you," the man assured him.

"We've gotta run! They're coming! They're coming!" the man gasped, desperate with fear.

The Captain passed him to the others, then pulled out his revolver and aimed it at the hunters.

"Jack, don't you dare!" the Doctor gasped. If he provoked an attack, it would draw out the Bad Wolf in Rose again, and he still hadn't been able to check her for further mutations.

With a frustrated sigh, Jack fired into the air and their attackers stopped.

Martha was staring at them, horrified. "What the hell are they?"

The man they'd saved urged them. "There's more of them. We've got to keep going."

The Doctor suggested, "We've got a ship nearby. It's safe. It's not far, it's just over there. Or maybe not." He saw more of the humanoid hunters between their group and the TARDIS.

"We're close to the silo. If we get to the silo, then we're safe," the future man told them confidently.

The Doctor nodded, turning to the other three. "Silo?"

"Silo," Jack agreed.

"Silo for me," Martha voted.

Rose grabbed her husband's hand. "Hey, want to try the Silo?"

They all turned as one and ran, following the man they'd saved. They arrived at a gated area with watchtowers and guards.

"It's the Futurekind! Open the gate!" the man screamed in a panic.

The guard raised his weapon. "Show me your teeth! Show me your teeth! Show me your teeth!"

"Show them your teeth," the man urged, baring his own.

The others gritted their teeth in the same way.

"Human! Let 'em in! Let 'em in!" the guard shouted.

The other guards rushed to open the gate and they rushed inside.

"Close! Close! Close!"

The guard fired his gun at the ground in front of the Futurekind.

"Humans. Humani. Make feast," the obvious leader snarled.

The guard barked, "Go back to where you came from. I said go back! Go back!" He raised the gun again.

"Oh, don't tell him to put down his gun," Jack said to the Doctor.

"He's not my responsibility," the Doctor replied easily.

The ex Time Agent scoffed. "And I am? That makes a change."

"Jack, relax," Rose said softly.

"Kind watch you. Kind hungry," the chief signaled the others and they backed away.

"Thanks for that," the Doctor said to the guards.

"Right. Let's get you inside," the guard at the gate said to the group.

The man they'd saved looked at the guard hopefully. "My name is Padrafet Shafekane. Please tell me, can you take me to Utopia?"

"Oh yes, sir. Yes, I can," the guard answered, finally smiling, leading them into a large tunnel carved into a mountain—the silo.

"What's your name?" Rose asked the guard, always wanting to know everyone she came into contact with.

"I'm Lieutenant Atillo, ma'am."

She smiled at him, and Martha shook her head with amusement as the guard relaxed around her. There was just something about her friend that drew people in and made them want to open up to her.

"Well, Lieutenant, I'm Rose, and this is my husband, the Doctor. And our friends, Martha and Jack. Do you have any patrols that could retrieve our police box?

Atillo shook his head. "Your what?"

"It's a box, a big blue box," the Doctor said. "I'm sorry, but we really need it back. It's stuck out there."

"I'm sorry, but my family were heading for the silo. Did they get here? My mother is Kistane Shafekane. My brother is Beltone."

The guard shrugged. "The computers are down but you can check the paperwork. Creet! Passenger needs help."

Creet turned out to be a boy of about ten years old, coming from around a corner with a clipboard in his hand. "Right. What d'you need?"

The guard focused on the Doctor. "A blue box, you said."

The Time Lord nodded eagerly. "Big, tall, wooden. Says 'Police'."

Glancing between the hopeful man and his wife, Atillo nodded. "We're driving out for a last water collection. I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you," the Doctor sighed.

"See?" Rose said, patting his arm. "I told you it would work out."

"Come on," the boy, Creet, said to Padra.

Martha stopped him. "Sorry, but how old are you?"

The boy shook his head in amusement. "Old enough to work. This way."

The small group followed Creet through corridors lined with people camping.

The boy shouted over the din. "Kistane Shafekane. Kistane Shafekane. Kistane and Beltone Shafekane? Looking for a Kistane and Beltone Shafekane."

"The Shafekanes anyone?" Padra couldn't help but ask people.

"Anyone? Kistane and Beltone Shefkane? Anyone know the Shafekane family? Anyone called Shafekane?" Creet continued.

"It's like a refugee camp," Martha murmured.

"Stinking," Jack agreed, passing a rather large man who stared at them, insulted. "Ooh, sorry. No offense."

"The ripe old smell of humans. You survived. Oh, much better than a million years evolving into clouds of gas. And then another million as downloads, but you always revert to the same basic shape. The fundamental humans," the Doctor babbled.

"I rather like our original shape," Rose said, tongue in teeth grin firmly in place.

He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "I rather like your shape, wife of mine."

"You'd better," she giggled.

"I might have liked it better when you weren't practically accosting the woman who's like a sister to me in open hallways," Jack groaned, earning a slap from the blonde.

"Kistane Shafekane," Creet called again.

"End of the universe and here you are. Indomitable! That's the word! Indomitable!" the man from Gallifrey praised the humans.

Rolling his eyes, the boy called, "Is there a Kistane Shafekane?"

"That's me," a woman called, gasping as she saw Padra.

"Mother?"

The woman held her arms out to her son. "Oh my God."

"Beltone?" Padra cried happily, running to embrace his family.

"It's not all bad news," Rose pointed out, nudging Martha. "Even at the end, there's still happiness and love."

"It is good to know that the really important things last," her friend smiled in agreement.

They wandered down the corridor, both Martha and Jack noticing a good-looking man who passed by.

"Captain Jack Harkness," the time traveling man introduced himself, shaking the man's hand. "And who are you?"

Martha leaned to Rose, "Is he…?"

The blonde woman laughed softly. "In love with everyone? Yes."

The Doctor was examining a door, using his sonic screwdriver to try and open it and absently scolded Jack, "Stop it. Give us a hand with this."

Jack reluctantly let go of the man's hand before he and the ladies joined the Doctor at the door.

"It's half deadlocked. See if you can overwrite the code," the Time Lord encouraged.

Jack grinned and set to work on the keypad while the Doctor continued to use his sonic screwdriver.

"Love, you know, they might have wanted to keep people out of there," Rose teased, winking at Martha, who joined right in.

"Right, you ever think about just letting something pass?"

The four of them looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"Let's find out where we are," the Doctor chuckled as the door slid open and he almost fell into the silo.

As Rose shouted with fear, Jack grabbed the other man just in time.

"Gotcha!"

"Thanks," the Doctor gasped as his wife latched onto him.

The ex Time Agent winked. "How did you cope without me?"

Martha gave a low whistle, staring at what they'd uncovered. "Now that is what I call a rocket."

"Rose, look," the Doctor urged his love. "They're not refugees, they're passengers."

She turned to see the huge rocket, blinking rapidly. "But… passengers to where?"

"Padra and Atillo both said they were going to Utopia," the medical student reminded them.

"The perfect place. 100 trillion years, it's still the same old dream," the Doctor mused before turning to Jack. "Do you recognize those engines?"

He shook his head. "Nope. Whatever it is, it's not rocket science. But it's hot, though."

"Boiling," his friend agreed, stepping back and letting Jack close the door. "But if the universe is falling apart, what does Utopia mean?"

An older man ran up to the group with a surprising burst of energy, looking around at them. He finally settled his gaze on Jack. "The Doctor?"

"That's me," the other man corrected with a confused look.

With a huge smile, he took the Doctor's hand and led him away. "Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good."

The Doctor looked back to the others with a surprised shrug. "It's good apparently."

The other three stared at each other for a second before Rose laughed. "Quick! After my kidnapped husband!"

They laughed and trotted down the hall after the two men. The group came to a room that was either engine room or laboratory, or a combination of the two, complete with a blue woman with insect-like features to play the part of assistant to the man who'd hurriedly introduced himself as Professor Yana.

"Chan—welcome—tho," she greeted each of them in turn.

"This is the gravitissimal accelerator. It's part of the …" the man who'd grabbed the Doctor was showing him everything in the room at breakneck speed.

"Chan—welcome—tho."

"And over here is the footprint impellor system. If you know anything about endtime gravity…"

"Hello. Who are you?" Martha asked the woman.

"Chan—Chantho—tho."

"But we can't get it to harmonize!" the man exclaimed.

"Captain Jack Harkness," Jack grinned winningly.

"Stop it," said the Doctor from across the room.

"Can't I say hello to anyone?"

Rose snickered. "Down boy."

"Chan—I do not protest—tho," Chantho smiled.

"No one does, I think that might be the problem," Martha laughed.

"Maybe later, Blue," Jack smiled with a wink. "So, what have we got here?"

Jack crossed the room, but Rose wandered idly, always curious about new things. Martha followed Jack, wondering about a sound she'd heard coming from his pack.

"Don't get into trouble, Rose," the Doctor teased gently before asking, "And all this feeds into the rocket?"

"Yeah, except without a stable footprint we'll never achieve escape velocity. If only we could harmonize the five impact patterns and unify them, well, we might yet make it. What do you think, Doctor? Any ideas?"

He hesitated before answering, "Well, um, basically…sort of…not a clue."

"Nothing?" the other man asked, obviously crestfallen.

"I'm not from around these parts. I've never seen a system like it. Sorry," the Doctor apologized.

No, no. I'm sorry. It's my fault. There's been so little help," the man sighed, rubbing his face.

Unable to withstand her curiosity anymore, Martha had opened Jack's bag and pulled a jar out.

"Oh my God!" She exclaimed, setting the hand on a table as the others came over, drawn by her scream. "You've got a hand. A hand in a jar. A hand in a jar in your bag."

"That's—that's my hand!" the Doctor yelped.

Rose jerked. "The one you lost to the Sycorax! Jack, how did you get that?!"

"I said I had a Doctor detector," he said, a bit embarrassed.

"Chan—is this a tradition amongst your people—tho?" the insectoid woman asked curiously.

Martha shook her head. "Not on my street. What d'you mean that's your hand? You've got both your hands, I can see them."

"Long story. I lost my hand Christmas Day. In a swordfight."

"You shouldn't have been sword fighting," Rose said, sounding as though it was an argument they'd had before.

"What was I gonna do, love? Let them cart you off to space, or take over the Earth? I had recovered by then."

"It could have gone worse."

"Rose," he said, kissing her forehead. "I'm okay."

"What? And you grew another hand?" Martha gaped.

"Um yeah. Yeah I did. Yeah. Hello," he grinned, waving his fingers.

"Might I ask what species are you?" the professor asked.

"Time Lord. Last of. Heard of them? Legend or anything? Not even a myth? Blimey, end of the universe is a bit humbling," the Doctor said at the completely blank look he received.

"Chan—It is said that I am the last of my species too—tho."

"Sorry, what was your name?" The Doctor asked, seeming a bit embarrassed that he missed it.

"My assistant and good friend, Chantho. A survivor of the Malmooth. This was their planet, Malcassairo, before we took refuge," the professor introduced her.

"The city outside, that was yours?"

"Chan—the conglomeration died—tho."

The Doctor grinned. "Conglomeration! That's what I said!"

Rose put an arm around Chantho's shoulders and frowned reprimandingly at her husband.

"You're supposed to say sorry," even Jack chided.

He blushed and ducked his head. "Oh, yes. Sorry."

The professor's assistant smiled, obviously not one to hold a grudge. "Chan—most grateful—tho."

"You grew another hand?" Martha asked, still stuck on the hand.

Rose began to laugh as the Doctor waved his fingers in her face again. "Hello again. It's fine. Look. Really, it's me."

"All this time and you're still full of surprises," the black woman laughed nervously.

"Tell me about it," his wife grinned. "I still don't have any idea what he's going to do next."

The Doctor clicked his tongue and winked. "Liar, liar. You know better than I do."

"Chan-you are most unusual—tho," Chantho laughed.

"Well…" he said, trying not to laugh.

"So what about those things outside?" Jack asked curiously. "The Beastie Boys. What are they?"

Professor Yana shrugged a bit helplessly. "We call them the Futurekind. Which is a myth in itself, but, uh, it is feared they are what we will become. Unless we reach Utopia."

Rose frowned a bit. She'd seen and heard of too many 'fairytales' that turned out horribly twisted. "But, Professor, what is Utopia?"

He blinked at her. "Oh, every human knows of Utopia. Where have you been?"

"Bit of a hermit," the Doctor smiled cheekily.

The older man raised an amused eyebrow. "A hermit with friends?"

"Hermits United. We meet up every ten years. Swap stories about caves. It's good fun…for a hermit," the Time Lord teased until Rose elbowed him. "Sorry. I'm a hermit, wife's not. This is her brother and sister. You know, can't go anywhere without the in laws..."

"Doctor!" She scolded him with a laugh.

"So..." he laughed, ducking Jack's hand. "Utopia?"

Yana crooked his finger and led them to a computer that showed a navigational chart with a blinking red dot. "The call came from across the stars over and over again. Come to Utopia. Originated from that point."

"Where is that?" The Doctor asked, studying the last star charts.

"Oh, it's far beyond the Condensate Wilderness. Out towards the wildlands and the dark matter reefs. Calling us in. The last of the humans. Scattered across the night," the professor answered a bit dreamily.

"What do you think's out there?" Martha asked, curious about the humans at the end of the universe.

"I don't know. A colony, a city, some sort of haven?" the professor confessed. "The Science Foundation created the Utopia Project thousands of years ago to preserve mankind—to find a way of surviving beyond the collapse of reality itself. Now perhaps they found it. Perhaps not. But it's worth a look, don't you think?"

"Oh yes," the Doctor agreed readily. "And the signal keeps modulating, so it's not automatic. There's a good sign. Someone's out there. And that's…ooh, that's a navigation matrix, isn't it? So you can fly without stars to guide you."

Rose had noticed the professor had seemed to drift off for spell. She moved to his side and placed a hand on his arm. "Professor? Professor?"

The man shook himself. "I—Right, that's enough talk. There's work to do. Now if you could leave. Thank you."

"You all right?" The Doctor asked as the professor walked away, busying himself with the machinery.

"Yes. I'm fine! And busy!"

The Doctor's voice was sad as he pressed gently. "Except that rocket's not going to fly, is it? This footprint mechanism thing, it's not working."

"We'll find a way!" the Professor said desperately.

Rose exchanged a look with Jack and Martha. Jack was resigned, Martha horrified, but Rose remained hopeful. They had to help them. Her Doctor could.

"You're stuck on this planet. And you haven't told them, have you? That lot out there, they still think they're gonna fly," her husband said.

The older man rubbed a hand over his face. "Well, it's better to let them live in hope."

The Doctor looked at Rose, taking a breath and letting her utter confidence in him boost him a bit. "Quite right, too. And I must say, Professor... Um, what was it?"

Jack grabbed the coat that the Doctor shrugged out of, smiling hopefully at Rose.

"Yana," the professor supplied.

"Professor Yana. This new science is well beyond me, but all the same, a boost reversal circuit, in any time frame, must be a circuit which reverses the boost. So, I wonder, what would happen if I did this?" He babbled as he picked up the circuit and used the sonic screwdriver on it before switching it on giving them power.

Chantho applauded. "Chan—it's working—tho!"

The professor gawked. "But how did you do that?"

He grinned, locking eyes with his wife while still talking to the professor. "Oh, we've been chatting away. I forgot to tell you, I'm brilliant."

"Yes you are, love," she agreed readily, grinning her trademark tongue in teeth grin.

He stepped to her quickly and kissed her, then looked around. "Right, Professor Yana, let's get these people to Utopia."

With a beaming smile, the professor began calling out directions, sending people in several directions at once. He had Jack and Rose reattaching energy uplinks while he sent Martha and Chantho to retrieve additional circuits for the navigational upload.

As they worked, Jack looked over at Rose. "You know, don't you?"

She looked at him, but didn't answer aloud. Instead, she just allowed her eyes to take the appearance of Bad Wolf. It was easier to get to her now, but Rose knew she still couldn't really control the power of the Time Vortex. Still... her eyes suddenly swirling with golden sparks gave Jack a bit of a turn.

"Rosie?!" He yelped.

"Shh," she smiled, blinking once and returning her eyes to hazel. "I know you can't die, Jack."

He sighed in relief. "Good, because I was honestly scared to tell you."

"I didn't think I was particularly scary," she laughed.

"The thought that you might not want to be around me because of it was," the man said seriously.

Rose turned to look at him incredulously, then hugged him hard. "Oh Jack. I will always love you. You're like family. You, me, and the Doctor are going to have to put up with each other for a very long time."

He hugged her back. "I'm glad to hear it, Rosie. You have no idea how bad it hurt... to be abandoned by the first people I'd felt close to since I was a kid... and to wait so long just to see you again... you're the sister I always wanted, and when I saw your name on the list of dead..."

"I'm sorry about that, Jack. Really I am. But I just didn't see any reason to take it off, seeing as I had no intention of going back to Earth."

He nodded. "I can understand that, but you will come back and visit me, won't you? I meant it when I said you were my sister. You're the only one - well, there's the Doctor - you're the only one who will understand what it's like to watch life from the sidelines."

"Oh, don't do that. Life is for living," she admonished him. "Yes, it hurts and people... sometimes whole worlds... leave, but you're still alive and so you ought to live."

Jack blinked at her. "Rosie, how did a 22 year old shop girl get so wise?"

She laughed and punched his arm, getting back to work. "One - I'm 23 now. Two - I haven't worked in a shop since the Doctor blew my last one up. And three -" The blonde woman sighed with a far away look in her eyes. "You can't really look into the Time Vortex even once without it changing you. And I've done it twice now."

"You did what?" he asked in a loud voice that interrupted the Doctor.

"Oi!" the eccentric Time Lord called playfully. "Be nice to my wife or I'll chuck you out to those pointy teeth devils."

Jack shot a cheeky grin to the Doctor where he and the professor were working on either side of a large clear circuit board in the centre of the lab.

Returning the grin, the Doctor sniffed the cord in his hands. "Is this..?"

"Don't lick it!" Rose called out teasingly.

The professor laughed at the three of them, then answered, "Yes, gluten extract. Binds the neutralino map together."

"But that's food. You've built this system out of food and string and staples," the Doctor praised. "Professor Yana, you're a genius!"

"Says the man who made it work," the white haired man blushed humbly.

"Ooh…it's easy coming in at the end but…you're stellar. This is…this is magnificent. I don't often say that 'cause…well, 'cause of me."

"Don't you believe it," Jack called over. "He says it all the time to Rose..."

The blonde punched her almost brother.

"Well, even my title is an affectation. There hasn't been such a thing as a university for over a thousand years. I've spent my life going from one refugee ship to another," Yana smiled sadly.

The Doctor sighed sympathetically. "If you had been born in a different time, you'd be revered." He shook his head emphatically as the professor chuckled. "I mean it. Throughout the galaxies."

The man sighed. "Oh, those damned galaxies. They had to go and collapse. Some admiration would have been nice. Just a little. Just once."

Rose approached, having finished the task that she and Jack had been given. She smiled at the older man and patted his arm. "Well you've got it now."

He smiled at her. It seemed that not even an aged genius was impervious to the smile of Rose Tyler that found the good in everyone.

"But that footprint engine thing," the Doctor pointed out thoughtfully. "You can't activate it from onboard. It's gotta be from here."

Jack looked up, surprised. "You're staying behind."

"With Chantho. She won't leave without me. Simply refuses," Yana said softly, with a sort of wonder.

The Doctor certainly understood that feeling. He still felt it whenever he looked into his wife's hazel eyes. "You would give your life so they could fly."

The aged man laughed a bit. "Oh, I think I'm a little too old for Utopia. Time I had some sleep."

Rose jerked her head up, as though someone had come in the room just as the voice of Lieutenant Atillo came over the intercom. "Professor, tell the Doctor we've found his blue box."

"Ah!"

Jack moved over to the monitor and smiled. "Rosie, Doctor, looks like home found you again."

Within moments, the TARDIS was brought into the lab, where Rose patted the wooden box lovingly.

The Doctor put a hand on Yana's shoulder. "Professor, it's a wild stab in the dark, but I may just have found you a way out." The Doctor grinned and ducked into the TARDIS, bringing out a long power line into the lab. "Extra power. Little bit of a cheat, but who's counting? Jack, you're in charge of the retro-feeds."

Just then, Martha and Chantho returned with the circuits. Martha beamed as she saw the TARDIS.

"Oh, am I glad to see that thing."

Chantho noticed the professor had taken a seat, and went to his side immediately. "Chan—Professor, are you all right—tho?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm fine. Just get on with it," he said, offering his assistant a smile.

"Martha, you and Blue connect those circuits into the spar—same as we did that last lot. But quicker," Jack said.

Martha gave him a mock salute. "Yes, sir."

"You don't have to keep working. We can handle it," the Doctor said kindly.

The white haired man shook his head wearily. "It's just a headache. Just—Just noise inside my head, Doctor. Constant noise inside my head."

Rose sat beside the older man, a gentle hand on his arm. "What sort of noise?"

"It's the sound of drums. More and more as though it's getting closer."

"When did it start?" the Doctor asked him with concern.

"Oh, I've had it all my life. Every waking hour. Still, no rest for the wicked." Yana patted the blonde woman's hand and stood, getting back to work.

The man and his wife exchanged looks of concern over whether the professor would be able to even see his dream of the rocket taking flight.

Across the room, Martha and Chantho worked on the circuits together, chatting softly.

"Chan – your family works very well together – tho."

Glancing at her two best friends, and even Jack, whom she felt a connection to as a traveler in the TARDIS, the medical student smiled. "Yes, they do. It's hard to describe our bond, I guess. How long have you been with the professor?"

"Chan—17 years—tho," she said, keying one of the plugs that didn't quite match.

"Blimey. A long time."

"Chan—I adore him—tho."

Martha noticed the blue of her cheeks grow a bit darker. "Oh right, and he—"

The other woman glanced back at the professor. "Chan-I don't think he even notices—tho."

With a glance toward her friends, she saw the protective concern, intense love, and utter devotion in the Doctor's eyes as he looked at his wife, who was tightening some kind of coupling for the professor and considered how easily she could have fallen for him if Rose hadn't been there. She couldn't imagine him feeling the same about anyone but his pretty blonde wife, though. "I completely understand, Chantho."

"Chan—but I am happy to serve—tho," she hurriedly assured Martha.

"Do you mind if I ask? Do you have to start every sentence with 'chan'?"

"Chan—yes—tho."

Martha couldn't help but smile a little. "And end every sentence with…"

Her new friend nodded. "Chan—tho—tho."

"What would you happen if you didn't?" The black woman asked curiously, turning a knob.

Chantho shook her head primly. "Chan—that would be rude—tho."

"What, like swearing?" Martha grinned.

"Chan—indeed—tho."

"Go on, just once," she urged, finding it amusing.

Chantho looked around the lab nervously, never having had a girlfriend to joke and chatter with like this, yet finding it to be a lot of fun. "Chan—I can't—tho."

Martha leaned closer, nudging her. "Oh, do it for me."

"No," Chantho said and they both dissolved into giggles.

"Talking about me, ladies?" Jack called teasingly, and they giggled even harder.

A crackling voice came over the video communications. Lieutenant Atillo asked, "Professor, are you getting me?"

Yana rushed to the screen. "I'm here! We're ready! Now all you need to do is connect the couplings. Then we can launch." He swore as the connection cut again. "God sakes! This equipment! Needs rebooting all the time!"

"Anything I can do?" Martha offered. "We've finished that lot."

He jumped up. "Yes, if you could. Just press the reboot key every time the picture goes out."

She sat at the console with a small laugh. "Certainly, sir. Just don't ask me to do shorthand."

"Are you still there?" Atillo asked over the feed.

Yana nodded eagerly. "Ah, present and correct. Send your man inside. We'll keep the levels down from here."

"He's inside," Atillo reported. "And good luck to him."

"Captain, keep the levels below the red," the professor directed, turning a knob.

Rose tipped her head, looking over Martha's shoulder into the monitor. "Professor, where is that room?"

"It's underneath the rocket," he answered, typing something into another monitor. "If we fix the couplings, the footprint can work. But the entire chamber is flooded with stet radiation."

The Doctor stroked his chin. "Stet? Never heard of it."

"You wouldn't want to. But it's safe enough. We can hold the radiation back from here," he assured them.

The Doctor joined Martha and his wife, watching on the monitor as a man worked on the couplings. Lieutenant Atillo watched through the window in the door. The all jumped as an alarm began to sound.

"It's rising…0.2. Keep it level!" Yana cried out to Jack.

"Yes, sir!" the captain answered, working furiously to get the levels back down.

More alarms sounded and the Doctor moved to Jack's side to help.

"Chan—we're losing power—tho!" Chantho exclaimed, trying to find the reasoning behind the sudden failure.

"Radiation's rising!" the Doctor shouted.

Jack cried, "We've lost control!"

Yana shook his head. "The chamber's going to flood."

"Jack! Override the vents!" the Doctor orderd.

Rose and Martha cringed as the heard Atillo shouting, "Get out! Get out of there! Jate!"

Jack took hold of two live cables. "We can jump start the override!"

As he moved to hold them together, the Doctor noticed a reading and turned, holding out a hand. "Don't! It's going to flare!"

Jack screamed as the power coursed through him, the others watching, helpless, as he then fell to the floor.

Over the comm. came the shout of, "Jate, get out of there! Get out! …No!"

Martha rushed to Jack, checking vitals and other signs. "I've got him."

"Chan—don't touch the cables—tho." Chantho warned, pushing them aside.

The Doctor watched Jack for a moment, his mind racing over the problem of the couplings.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Yana said sorrowfully.

"The chamber's flooded with radiation, yes?" the Time Lord asked.

Martha started mouth-to-mouth on Jack and Rose moved over to her side.

The professor nodded, weary at the idea of losing two lives and having accomplished nothing. "Without the couplings, the engines will never start. It was all for nothing."

"Oh, I don't know."

Rose takes her friend by the arm. "Martha, leave him," she said softly, pulling her up gently.

The other woman looked anguished. "You've gotta let me try."

"Come on. Come on. Just trust me, love. Just give it a bit of time," the blonde soothed, hugging her.

"It strikes me, Professor, you've got a room a man can't enter without dying. Is that correct?" the Doctor clarified.

"Yes," he confirmed, looking confused.

"Well…" the man said, pulling off his glasses just as Jack gasped and sat up. "I've got just the man."

Jack looked around, running his tongue over his teeth. "Was someone kissing me?"

Martha laughed with relief, but Rose shook her head in amusement.

"On your feet, my friend," the Doctor said, tucking his glasses away and offering a hand to the living man.

The two raced through the silo to the control room, while those still in the lab rushed to do their part.

As they arrived, the Doctor looked at Atillo. "Lieutenant, get onboard the rocket! I promise you're gonna fly."

"The chamber's flooded!" the man tried to warn them.

"Trust me. We've found a way of tripping the system. Run!" As the guard left for the rocket, he turned to find Jack removing his shirt. "Wh-What are you taking your clothes off for?"

"I'm going in," Jack answered, as though it should be obvious.

Well by the looks of it, I'd say that stet radiation doesn't affect clothing, only flesh," the Doctor pointed out.

"I look good though," Jack grinned, stopping at door. "How long have you known?"

"Ever since I ran away from you. Good luck."

Jack entered the room and went straight to the couplings, while the Doctor watched from the window. He knew Jack would survive it, but he sincerely hoped it didn't cause the man any serious pain.

"We lost picture when that thing flared up. Doctor, are you there?" Martha asked over the comm.

"Receiving, yeah. He's inside."

"And still alive?"

"Oh, yes."

He couldn't help but chuckle softly as he heard his wife say, "I told you he would be fine, Martha."

"But he should evaporate," Yana said in wonder. "What sort of a man is he?"

Rose patted his arm. "An accidental sort, sir."

The medical student shrugged. "I've only just met him. The Doctor sort of travels through time and space and picks people up. God, I make us sound like stray dogs. Maybe we are."

"You are not!" his wife laughed.

"He travels in time?" the professor asked, turning to look at the police box.

"Don't ask me to explain it. That's a TARDIS. The sports car of time travel, he says," Rose laughed a bit. "But he's always liked to take people with him, no matter how he claims that he doesn't do domestic."

"When did you first realize?" the Doctor was asking Jack, and Rose leaned closer to listen. After all… it was sort of her fault.

"Earth 1892. Got in a fight in Ellis Island. A man shot me through the heart. Then I woke up. Thought it was kinda strange. But then it never stopped. Fell off a cliff, trampled by horses, World War I, World War II, poison, strangulation, a stray javelin…" Jack trailed off, hearing the Doctor wince audibly. "In the end, I got the message, I'm the man who can never die. And all that time you and Rose knew."

"Wait, Rose really didn't until we landed here," he defended her. "But I did. That's why I left you behind. It's not easy even just…just looking at you Jack, 'cause you're wrong."

"Thanks," the man in the chamber replied dryly.

The Doctor scowled. "You are, I can't help it. I'm a Time Lord. It's instinct. It's in my guts. You're a fixed point in time a space. You're a fact. That's never meant to happen. Even the TARDIS reacted against you—tried to shake you off. Flew all the way to the end of the universe just to get rid of you. Rose was in the floor in tears, begging me to get rid of whatever was upsetting her."

"So what you're saying is that you're, uh, prejudiced?" Jack teased, finishing the third coupling.

"I never thought of it like that," the man outside the door mused.

"Yeah," he said shortly. "Last thing I remember back when I was mortal…I was facing three Daleks. Death by extermination. And then I came back to life. What happened?"

"Rose," the Doctor sighed as the woman herself winced and looked away under the eyes of the other people in the lab.

"I thought you sent her back home," Jack said, glancing up.

The Doctor's expression was fond, but the worry he always felt for the blonde came through in his eyes and tone. "She came back. Opened the heart of the TARDIS and absorbed the time vortex."

"What does that mean, exactly?"

"No one's ever meant to have that power. If a Time Lord did that, he'd become a god, a vengeful god. But she was human. Everything she does is still so wonderfully human. She brought you back to life but she couldn't control it. She brought you back forever. That's something, I suppose. The final act of the Time War was life."

"Do you think she could change me back?"

"No," the Doctor answered quickly, sharply.

Jack looked up, hurt clearly written in his eyes. "Doc…"

"I'm sorry, Jack, I'm so sorry," he sighed. "But for her to even try, she'd have to take all that power back into her again. You know, she doesn't even register as human anymore. I tried to get the power out of her, and it caused me to regenerate. But enough remained to change her biological makeup."

Jack stared at the couplings. "I went back to her estate, in the 90s, just once or twice. Watched her growing up. Never said hello, timelines and all that. Hope she doesn't get upset by that."

"Do you wanna die?"

He didn't answer right away as he struggled with the coupling. "Oh, this one's a little stuck."

"Jack?"

"I thought I did. I dunno. But this lot, you see them out here surviving and that's fantastic," he said a bit softly, moving onto last coupling.

"You may be out there somewhere," the Doctor teased.

"I could go meet myself…"

"Well, the only man you're ever gonna be happy with."

"This new regeneration, it's kinda cheeky," Jack chuckled.

"Hmm."

"I never understand half the things he says. Rose, you couldn't have made Jack immortal, what really happened?" Martha asked.

Rose hugged herself. "I… I looked into the heart of the TARDIS, opened myself to the power in order to save the Doctor from the Daleks. And I lost control of the power when I tried to bring back Jack, and brought him back permanently."

The black woman stared in awe. "You… you really?"

"It ended, Martha. I can't do it now, nor would I try."

"But you looked into the vortex a while back, throwing the Reaper egg in…"

"Martha," she said sharper than she intended. "It's over. I no longer have the power to do things like that. Believe me, if I could fix Jack, I would, but I can't. I don't have any idea what's happened to me, but I don't have super powers or magical abilities. I just don't die when I look at the Time Vortex, is all."

Silence descended over the lab, broken only when Chantho spoke, "Chan—Professor, what is it—tho?"

"Time Vortex, time travel. They say there was time travel back in the old days. I never believed. But what would I know? I'm just a stupid old man. Never could keep time. Always late, always lost. Even this thing never worked," he said, pulling out a fobwatch from his waistcoat pocket. Time and time and time again. Always running out on me."

"Can I have a look at that?" Martha asked, holding a hand out.

"Oh, it's only an old relic," Yana dismissed her with a chuckle. "Like me."

"Where did you get it?" Rose wondered, moving closer to him.

He shrugged. "Hm? I was found with it."

Martha nearly groaned, remembering how the Doctor had been a bit disoriented after his change. "What do you mean?"

The white haired man smiled a bit, getting dramatic with his story. "An orphan in the storm. I was a naked child found on the coast of the Silver Devastation. Abandoned with only this."

"Have you opened it?" Rose asked him, a bit breathless.

He was perturbed that the two women were missing the point of his tale. "Why would I do that, girls? It's broken."

The black woman shook her head. "How do you know it's broken if you never opened it?"

"It's stuck. It's old. It's not meant to be. I don't know," he seemed to be actively trying not to think about it, which set off alarms in the minds of both the Doctor's companion and wife.

Rose took the watch and turned it over. It bore the same engravings as the one that nearly cost her her husband. She stepped back and breathed nervously, exchanging a surprised look with Martha.

"Does it matter?" They heard the professor ask.

"No," Martha said quickly. "It's…nothing. It's…Listen, everything's fine up here. I'm gonna see if the Doctor needs me, Rose, you coming?"

The blonde woman shook her head. "One of us ought to stay to help in case something goes wrong. You three just hurry back."

Her friend nodded and nearly ran for the door.

In the radiated chamber, Jack released the last coupling. "Yes!"

"Now get out of there! Come on!" the Doctor ordered, calling the lieutenant while the other man exited the chamber. "Lieutenant, everyone on board?"

"Ready and waiting," came Atillo's answer.

"Stand by! Two minutes to ignition," the Doctor said as he and Jack took their positions at the controls.

"Ready to launch. Outer doors sealed. Countdown commences T minus 99…98…"

Martha ran in, wide eyed.

"Ah, nearly there," the Doctor nodded, turning a few dials. "The footprint is a gravity pulse. It stamps down, the rocket shoots up. Bit primitive. It's gonna take the both of us to keep it stable."

Martha moved in front of him as he worked. "Doctor, it's the professor. He's got this watch. He's got a fobwatch. It's the same as yours. Same writing on it. Same… everything."

"Don't be ridiculous," he dismissed. It was an impossible idea.

She shook her head. "We asked him. He said he's had it all his life."

Jack shrugged. "So he's got the same watch."

"Yeah, but it's not a watch," the medical student explained. "It's this chameleon thing."

The Doctor corrected her, a bit flustered at the very thought. "No, no, no. It's this… This thing, this device, it rewrites biology, changes a Time Lord into a human."

"And it's the same watch," she emphasized.

"It can't be," he insisted.

An alarm blared and the Doctor tried to fix it, twirling knobs and hitting buttons.

"That means he could be a Time Lord. You might not be the last one," Jack said, clearly excited for his friend.

"Jack, keep it level!"

The two men moved quickly.

"But that's brilliant, isn't it?" Martha asked.

"Yes, it is. Course it is. Depends which one. Brilliant, fantastic, yeah. But they died, the Time Lords. All of them, they died," he rushed, really not wanting to think about it right then.

"Not if he was human," his immortal friend pointed out.

"What did he say, Martha?" the Doctor asked, his mind suddenly awash with the possibilities of who the professor might be if he _was_ a Time Lord. With a quick glance around, he noted Rose wasn't with them and panicked slightly, yelling, "What did he say?"

She gasped. "He looked at the watch like he could hardly see it. Like that perception filter thing."

The Doctor's voice was nearing a desperate quality which neither of his friends understood. "What about now? Can he see it now?"

Rose watched the professor as he sat holding his watch, a vacant look on his face. Something felt very wrong and she wished the Doctor was there with her.

"Chan—Yana, won't you please take some rest—tho?" his young assistant asked, concerned for the man she doted on.

They all heard Atillo's countdown continue. "13, 12, 11, 10…"

"If he escaped the Time War then it's the perfect place to hide. The end of the universe," Jack pointed out thoughtfully.

"Think of what the Face of Boe said. His dying words. He said…" Martha began.

"I know," was the soft, curt answer from the Doctor as he launched the rocket. He knew, instantly, that upstairs, Yana had just opened the fobwatch, and his heart clenched in fear for Rose.

"Chan—Professor Yana—tho?"

The Doctor's wife, took Chantho's arm and stepped back from the professor as he turned to face them, clearly no longer the genial man he was before.

The Doctor felt the sudden, intense stab of fear and barked into the comm. to the rocket, "Lieutenant, have you achieved velocity? Have you done it? Lieutenant! Have you done it?"

"Affirmative. We'll see you in Utopia."

"Good luck," he said shortly, hanging up phone and sprinting from the control room.

Martha and Jack exchanged shocked looks before running after him.

Yana threw a lever that closed and locked the main door before the three got there.

"Chan—but you've locked them in—tho."

Rose gasped. "Why did you do that?"

The Doctor got out his sonic screwdriver while Jack tried the keypad.

"Get it open! Get it open!" the Doctor yelled frantically.

"Not to worry, my dears. As one door closes, another must open," Yana smiled coldly, throwing another switch.

The reading showed power cutting out at the main gate, allowing the Futurekind to get in.

His assistant cried out, "Chan—you must stop—tho!"

Yana ignored her as he worked various controls around the lab.

"Chan—but you've lowered the defences! The Futurekind will get in—tho!"

Jack got the door open and they ran through. Rose watched their progress on the monitors, hoping the Doctor was nearly to her.

"Chan—Professor, I'm so sorry but I must stop you. You're destroying all our work—tho," Chantho said, tears in her voice.

Both Rose and the professor looked up to see Chantho holding a gun on him.

"Oh…now I can say I was provoked," Yana smirked, reaching down and lifting one of the live cables. He stepped toward her purposefully.

Racing down the halls, the Doctor, Jack and Martha ran into the Futurekind, forcing them to backtrack.

"Did you never think, in all those years standing beside me, to ask about that watch? Never? Did you never think, not ever, that you could set me free?" Yana hissed at his cowering assistant.

" Chan—I'm sorry—tho. Chan—I'm so sorry…" she whimpered.

"And you with your 'chan' and your 'tho' driving me insane."

"Leave her alone, professor," Rose tried to distract him.

"Wait your turn, Rose," he directed her, still advancing on Chantho.

"Chan—Professor, please—"

"That is not my name!" he shouted. "The Professor…was an invention. So perfect a disguise that I forgot who I am."

"Chan—who are you—tho?"

"I am the Master," he grinned, thrusting the cable forward as both women screamed.

Chantho jerked and slumped to the ground, and the Master turned to Rose, who hurriedly backed away.

"Now, my dear, let's you and I talk."

"If you hurt me, the Doctor will kill you," she said, hoping to stall until her love could get there.

He merely laughed. "I won't do anything permanent just yet, Rose. I want to know just how connected you are to his TARDIS still. A dead woman is no use to me. Better yet, a dead woman isn't as fun in torturing him."

He stalked toward her, and Rose ducked around the equipment.

"I am not in the mood for games, girl," he growled, following her intently. As she attempted to dodge him again, he jerked out a small cable and swung it at her, startling the woman with the small shock from the end just long enough to get near. His hand, surprisingly strong, grabbed her arm and jerked her to face him.

"Let me go," she struggled.

A quick backhand to her face caused her to still. "Shut up," he told her plainly. A trip to the cabinet produced a pair of cuffs the guards had stored in his lab, and he dragged Rose into the TARDIS and attached her to one of the rails.

The Master went back into his lab, retrieving the canister containing the Doctor's hand as the other three arrived at the locked lab door. Jack worked on the keypad, while Doctor looked through the window.

Professor!" he shouted, pounding on window. "Professor, let me in! Let me in! Jack, get the door open!"

The Master walked to the computer displaying the navigational chart for Utopia.

"Professor! Professor, where are you?! Rose?! Professor! Professor, are you there?! Please, I need to explain! Whatever you do, don't open that watch!"

Rolling his eyes, the Master removed the navigational circuit board, sneering condescendingly. "Utopia."

Outside the door he heard Martha shout, "They're coming!"

"Professor!" The Doctor shouted desperately.

The Master chuckled, pulling the cables from the TARDIS. Rose struggled against the cuffs. "Master, what the hell are you doing?"

"Not now, my dear," the man laughed.

"Open the door, please! I'm begging you, Professor! Please! Listen to me! Open the door, please!"

The Master turned, intending to tease the Doctor, and Chantho fired. He blinked in surprise and groaned, staggering back against the TARDIS. Jack hit the keypad with the butt of his revolver and the door opened. The Doctor rushed inside and stopped, facing the Master.

"Where's Rose?"

"Doctor!" They heard her scream from the TARDIS.

He moved forward, intending to get his wife, but the other Time Lord merely smirked and backed into the TARDIS, locking it behind himself. The Doctor tried his key but the Master flicked a switch so a key wouldn't work. He then headed up to the console.

Rose fought against the cuffs. "Doctor!"

He swore and pulled out the sonic screwdriver. Inside, the Master pressed a button on the console to prevent that from working as well.

"Deadlocked," he laughed.

"Let me in! Let me in!" The Doctor shouted, pounding on the door. "Rose!"

"She's dead," Martha said, checking Chantho.

"I've broken the lock! Give me a hand!" Jack shouted, trying to bar the outside door.

"I'm begging you! Everything's changed! It's only the two of us! We're the only ones left!"

Martha ran to help Jack with the door.

"Just let me in!" The Doctor shouted. "At least let Rose out!"

Inside the TARDIS, the other Time Lord snorted. "Killed by an insect! A girl! How inappropriate. Still, if the Doctor can be young and strong, then so can I. The Master…reborn."

"Doctor!" Rose screamed. "Doctor, he's regenerating!"

The Master stood in front of the console, head and arms flung back, and the regeneration began. Bright golden lights poured out from his neck and arms. He screamed.

The Futurekind arrived at the door and the two humans tried to hold them back as the door wasn't fully closed.

"Doctor! You'd better think of something!" Jack called.

Inside the TARDIS, a younger Master—looking to be in his early 30s—woke next to the Doctor's hand. He stood slowly, amazed. Rose stared, horrified.

"Doctor—ooh, new voice. Hello," the Master grinned, testing his new voice before resuming his taunt, "hello, hello. Anyway, why don't we stop and have a nice little chat while I tell you all my plans and you can work out a way to stop me? I don't think! How about instead, I take your ship and your wife and leave you here?"

"Hold on! I know that voice!" Martha cried as one of the Futurekind reached an arm through the door.

"I'm asking you really properly! Just stop! Just think!" the Doctor begged. "At least leave Rose!"

"Use my name," the newly regenerated man commanded.

"Master," the Doctor said in a voice of great pain. "I'm sorry."

"Tough!" the Master shouted, starting the TARDIS.

"Rose!" The Doctor shouted, holding out his sonic screwdriver.

Jack groaned, all his weight against the door. "I can't hold out much longer, Doctor!"

The console sparked as Rose screamed for the Doctor.

"Oh, no you don't!" The Master cackled as he got the control column moving again. "End of the universe. Have fun. Bye bye!"

"Doctor, stop him!" Martha cried as she and Jack fought the Futurekind back.

The TARDIS disappeared, and the Doctor fell to his knees with a sob.

_A/N: I __**need**__ reviews! Sorry this one took so long, but I wasn't all that well. I'm better now. Anyway… leave a review. Lots of surprises planned for the new chapter! Leave a note and let me know if I was a terrible disappointment!_


	14. 0312 The Sound of Drums

_A/N: Sorry it's been so long. Got sick again, and this was a very hard episode due to the darkness within. I'm just not a mean person at heart, and so it was hard to write some of it. Anywho! Hope you enjoy!_

Season Three: The Sound of Drums

The quiet of an alleyway was disturbed as the time vortex opened and the Doctor, Martha and Jack appeared, groaning. The Doctor looked around, orienting himself.

"Oh, my head!" Martha groaned.

"Time travel without a capsule. That's a killer," the Doctor dismissed. "We need to find her... them."

Jack cracked his neck. "I think you meant it more the first way. And neither of us disagree. But you know Rosie, she's smart and capable."

They walked along a street taking in their surroundings.

The medical student frowned worriedly. "But this Master bloke, he's got Rose, and he's got the TARDIS. He could be anywhere in time and space."

He shook his head. "No, he's here. Trust me. "

She shook her head frantically. "Who is he, anyway? And that voice at the end, that wasn't the professor."

Jack groaned. "If the Master's a Time Lord, he must have regenerated."

She shook her head. "What does that mean?"

"Means he's changed his face, voice, body, everything. New man," Jack explained. "The Doctor's done it too, but only Rose was with him then."

The Doctor noticed a homeless man tapping a repeating rhythm on an enamel mug.

"Then how are we gonna find him?" She asked hopelessly.

The tapping echoed in his mind. "I'll know him, the moment I see him. Time Lords always do."

"But hold on. If he could be anyone… We missed the election. But it can't be…" the young woman said very slowly, looking intently at an election poster for Harry Saxon.

The Doctor stood slowly, as did Jack, and they walked toward a giant screen showing the news. Martha, realizing they'd moved, followed.

"Mr. Saxon has returned from the Palace and is greeting the crowd inside Saxon Headquarters," the newscaster said.

The screen showed the new Prime Minister walking downstairs with an entourage, his smiling wife at his side. Also in the entourage was a woman who wore a turtleneck and glasses, with dark brown hair and downcast eyes, but the three of them knew her and hated that they hadn't seen her before.

"My Rose..." the Doctor whispered, almost reaching for the screen.

"I said I knew that voice," Martha snarled, hating the haunted look of a prisoner on her dear friend's face. "When he spoke inside the TARDIS. I've heard that voice hundreds of times. I've seen him. We all have. That was the voice of Harold Saxon."

"That's him. He's Prime Minister," the Time Lord beside seethed, shaking with his barely suppressed rage.

"Mr. Saxon, this way, sir. Come on, kiss for the lady, sir."

"The Master is Prime Minister of Great Britain," the Doctor growled, watching Saxon kiss the woman at his side. "The Master and his wife. While he's got mine held prisoner!"

Jack put a hand on the Doctor's arm, restraining him as the new Prime Minister spoke to the camera.

"This country has been sick. This country needs healing. This country needs medicine. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that, what this country really needs, right now…is a doctor."

Across the city, the man known as Harold Saxon was walking down a hall in Number Ten, his wife beside him, silent brunette half a step behind, clerks handing him files as he passed.

"Finance report, sir."

"Military protocol, sir."

"EC directive, sir."

"Annual budget, sir."

He stopped outside the door to the Cabinet Room.

"I'm so proud of you, Harry," Lucy smiled at her husband, ignoring the derisive snort from the woman behind them. Honestly, why Harry insisted she never be out of his sight confused her.

As they kissed, Harry's new assistant walked toward them.

"Uh, sir…If you don't mind me asking…I'm sorry, but it's all a bit new. What exactly do you want me to do?"

Saxon looked at her. "Oh yes, what was it, uh..?"

"Tish. Letitia Jones."

The brunette's eyes snapped upward and she suddenly winced audibly, looking at the ground again.

The Prime Minister smiled in delight at the woman's reaction, but focused on his new assistant. "Tish. Well then, Tish…You just stand there and look gorgeous."

He threw open the doors to the cabinet room and strode in. "A glorious day. Downing Street rebuilt, the Cabinet in session. Let the work of government begin." He tossed the files into the air, letting the contents scatter where they would. "Oh, go on. Crack a smile. It's funny, isn't it? Albert, funny? No? Little bit?"

Lucy smiled and closed the doors, turning to the other women. "Tish, how about we get started tomorrow. You head home."

"Don't come back," the brunette whispered.

"Shut up," Lucy snapped, and the woman winced and seemed to duck a little.

As Tish walked away, the woman raised her eyes to the Prime Minister's wife. "He'll never get away with this, Lucy. We both know it. And I won't be in these restraining cuffs forever."

"But you are now, Rose," Lucy sniffed, pressing and holding a button hidden in her palm and smirking as the other groaned from the electrical current coursing through her.

"Now, now, pet," Saxon laughed, exiting the room and taking the control. "You know I can't kill her just yet. I want the Doctor to watch."

Rose breathed deep, trying to keep faith. It had been a very, _very_ hard thing, to keep believing he would come, and not let them break her spirit, but if she knew one thing, it was that the Doctor had never let her down, and he wasn't going to start now.

The man she was thinking of was focused on her only a few kilometers away as he, Jack, and Martha entered the medical student's flat.

"Home," the woman said, looking around. It felt awkward to be back here. She almost didn't fit anymore.

The Doctor turned to her, a wild look in his eyes. "What have you got? Computer, laptop, anything?" He caught Jack trying to make a call on his mobile. "Jack, who are you phoning? You can't tell anyone we're here!"

The ex time agent shook his head. "Just some friends of mine, but there's no reply…""

"Here you go. Any good?" Martha asked, handing the Doctor her laptop.

Jack intercepted the machine. "I can show you the Saxon websites. He's been around for ages."

She shook her head. "That's so weird though. It's the day after the election. That's only four days after I met you two."

The Doctor glared out the window. "We went flying all around the universe while he was here the whole time, holding her hostage, doing God knows what..."

Jack put a hand on the Doctor's arm, all too aware of what the psychopath could have done to the woman he considered family. "Really not helping, Doc."

"You gonna tell us who he is?" Martha asked.

"He's a Time Lord."

She crossed her arms. "And...?"

"That's all you need to know. Come on, show me Harold Saxon."

"She's important to me too, Doctor," Martha sighed, sitting on her bed. "I know I'm just a dumb Human, but I love Rose too."

He sighed, rubbing his hand over his face. "I'm sorry, Martha. I just..."

"I know."

Rose stared out the window in the sitting room, ignoring Lucy. The blonde woman was massaging her feet, when the door burst open and a reporter walked in, followed by a very irate Tish Jones.

"Mrs. Saxon," the reporter said briskly. "Vivien Rook, Sunday Mirror. You've heard of me."

Lucy groaned. "Oh, can't I just have an hour to myself? It's been a hell of a day."

There was a gasp as Tish noticed Rose for the first time. Rose shot her a warning look, not wanting Lucy to know about their connection, or to electrify her again.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Saxon," Tish said hurriedly to cover her gasp. "She just pushed right in!"

"Quite right, I did," Vivien admitted easily. "But, strike while the iron's hot, that's what I say, Lucy. I can call you Lucy, can't I? Now, everyone's talking about Harold Saxon, but I thought 'What about the wife?' All I need is twenty minutes."

Lucy glanced nervously at the door, then toward Rose, who'd turned her back again. "Oh, I think maybe we should wait."

"The headline's waiting to print: The Power Behind the Throne," the reporter said encouragingly, smiling at the new First Lady.

That thirst for power that had drawn her to the Master in the first place ignited in her eyes. "Really?"

"Britain's First Lady," the woman wheedled.

Rose stared out the window, clenching her hands into fists. There was something off about this reporter, but she didn't really feel the urge to protect Lucy... did she? Why would she care about a woman who had helped to torture her for over a year?

"Gosh," the blonde woman said in a tone of wonder.

There it was. That wistful, hopeful, 'someone look at me' tone to her voice. That's why Rose still believed Lucy could be saved. That's why she didn't hate her even after everything. It just wasn't in Rose to hate someone if there was a chance of helping them. It was the first thing about her that the Doctor had fallen in love with.

"Front page," Vivien charmed.

Flattered, Lucy shook her head. "Oh, well, I suppose… Oh, go on then. Twenty minutes."

"Excellent! Thank you! Oh, oh, what was it? Oh, Tish. Now you can leave us alone," the woman said, handing TISH her coat.

"No, but I'm supposed to sit in," Tish insisted, as she looked to LUCY.

The reporter laughed and shook her head. "No, no. It's—it's only a profile piece. You know, hair and clothes and nonsense. There's a good girl. Out you go. That's it."

She pushed Tish out the door and closed it, looking at the Prime Minister's wife and completely missing the silent woman in the dark clothes standing in the corner. "Mrs. Saxon, I have reason to believe…that you're in very great danger. All of us, in fact. Not just the country, but the whole world. I beg of you, hear me out."

Rose's heart plummeted. She knew all too well what happened to those who discovered the truth about Harold Saxon. She'd seen them. Some tortured alongside her before being executed, some killed quickly and lucky enough to escape the pain first. But none survived. No one who pointed out what he really was lived even 24 hours after telling someone. And this woman was telling Lucy Saxon of all people.

"What are you talking about?" Lucy asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Your husband is not who he says he is. I'm sorry, but it's a lie. Everything's a lie."

The Doctor was watching the campaign commercials for Harold Saxon while Jack told him what he knew of the man. He couldn't believe the Master had been here on Earth and he'd missed him. That he'd had Rose here, trapped. What had he done to his wife while she'd been…? No, he didn't want to think about what his beautiful girl had gone through. He'd deal with it when she was safe once more.

"Former Minister of Defence. First came to prominence when he shot down the Racnoss on Christmas Eve," Jack said, turning to his friend. "Nice work, by the way."

Oh, thanks," the man shrugged. "That's when I discovered Rose was still connected to the TARDIS and the Time Vortex."

"You didn't know before?" his almost brother in law asked. "But you said…"

"That she took it in. But I thought I had taken it back out."

"Oh right."

Martha shook her head. "But Saxon, he goes back years. He's famous. Everyone knows his story. Look. Cambridge University, Rugby blue, won the Athletics thing, wrote a novel, went into business, marriage, everything. He's got a whole life."

Vivien was trying to explain to Lucy, "All of it. The school days, his degree, even his mother and father. It's all invented. Look, Harold Saxon never went to Cambridge. There was no Harold Saxon. The thing is, it's obvious. The forgery is screaming out and yet no one can see it. It's as if he's mesmerized the entire world."

She frowned, her eyes hardening just a bit. "I think perhaps you should leave now."

"Eighteen months ago he became real. This is his first, honest-to-God appearance, just after the downfall of Harriet Jones. And at the exact same time, they launched the Archangel Network."

"Mrs. Rook, now stop it," Lucy insisted, and Rose heard the warning.

"Even now they say that the— the Cabinet has gone into seclusion. I mean, what does that mean, 'seclusion'?"

"How should I know?"

Rose wanted to stop the woman, to tell her to run.

"But I've got plenty of research on you. Yes, good family, Roedean, not especially bright but essentially harmless," Vivien said as she sat beside Lucy. "And that's why I'm asking you, Lucy. I'm begging you. If you have seen anything, heard anything, even the slightest thing that would give you cause to doubt him…"

"Mrs. Rook," the brunette said finally, "you need to go. Run. Hide. Get as far from here as you can."

The reporter looked up in surprise. "Who are you?"

"My name is Rose Tyler, and the more you say, the more you seal your fate. Get out of the building, get out of the country."

"Shut up, Rose," Lucy snapped.

Vivien shook her head. "I don't understand."

Rose shook her head. "Lucy Saxon is not going to help you, Vivien Rook. Not in the slightest. Just look at her."

The blonde woman shrugged lightly, meeting the reporter's eyes. "The thing is… I made my choice."

"I'm sorry?" the woman asked, looking terribly confused.

_So am I,_ Rose thought sadly, dropping her eyes immediately as someone new entered the room. She didn't want to stand there meekly. She didn't want to give in to the role she'd been forced into. But she had to stay alive until the Doctor came for her, and so she stayed silent, stayed obedient (mostly) and most tortuous of all… she stayed still.

"For better or for worse. Isn't that right, Harry?" Lucy asked her husband, who stood in the connecting door, leaning against the jam.

Rose wanted to gag. Never had marital vows sounded more like someone selling themselves into slavery. The Master grinned at his captive before turning his 'adoring' eyes on his wife.

"My faithful companion."

Rose suppressed a shudder at his words.

"Mr. Saxon. Prime Minister, I-I-I was just having a little joke with poor little Lucy. I-I didn't mean…" Vivien stumbled over her words.

The Master walked into the room, smiling coldly. "Oh, but you're absolutely right. Harold Saxon doesn't exist."

"Then tell me…who are you?"

"I'm the Master and these," he laughed, holding out his hands, "are my friends."

Four small metal spheres appeared and floated about him. Rose shuddered and felt her stomach begin to cramp. They shouldn't be here… the link with the TARDIS told her they shouldn't be in this time, in this place. The woman winced, placing a hand over her stomach, missing the way the Master's eyes lit up at her first sign of weakness in eighteen months.

"I'm sorry?" Vivien said again, just not understanding.

"Can't you hear it, Mrs. Rook?" he asked her, the madness within shining through his eyes.

She shook her head, cowering a bit. "What do you mean?"

"The drumbeat. The drums coming closer and closer."

Rose shuddered as the spheres headed toward the unfortunate reporter, spikes appearing from their lower halves.

"The lady doesn't like us."

The brunette squeezed her eyes shut, trying not to scream from the absolute wrong she felt from these minions of the Master. They advanced on Vivien, spinning their spikey lower halves.

"Silly lady... Dead lady."

"Rose, Lucy," the Master said, almost genially, opening the door.

Lucy nearly fled the room, but Rose hesitated, wanting to help. A quick depression of his control and she gasped, marching through the door with a depressed resignation. Vivien screamed, but the Master sharply closed the door, deadening her anguished sounds. He took a breath and opened the door, winced at the sight and sound within, and closed it again. He opened it once more and closed the door again quickly, putting a fist to his mouth.

"Stop it," Rose snapped.

Ignoring the utter horror on the other woman's face, Lucy sighed, "But she knew. Harry, she knew everything. You promised. You said Archangel was 100%."

"Um, 99, 98?" He joked with a careless shrug.

His wife didn't share his amusement in this. "But if she's asking questions, then who else? How much time have we got?"

The Master knew how to deal with her anxiety, and held his arms out to pull her into a hug. Over Lucy's head he shot a triumphant look at Rose, who merely glared. How she longed to feel her husband's arms around her once more.

"Tomorrow morning, I promise. That's when everything ends," he said, a manic light in his eyes.

At Martha's flat, Jack made the three of them tea while they worked out a plan.

"But he's got a TARDIS. Maybe the Master went back in time and has been living here for decades," he suggested, though he din't want to think about his 'sister' being alone with the Master that long.

"No," the Doctor said bluntly from the desk where he worked furiously on the computer.

"Why not? Worked for me."

"When he was stealing Rose and the TARDIS, the only thing I could do was fuse the coordinates. I locked them permanently, so I could find her. He can only travel between the year 100 trillion and the last place the TARDIS landed. Which is right here, right now."

Jack shook his head, putting a cup in front of his friend. "Yeah, but a little leeway?"

The Doctor looked up thoughtfully. "Well…18 months, tops. The most he could have been here is 18 months. So how has he managed all this? The Master was always sort of…hypnotic but this is on a massive scale. How could he have hidden? Rose and I end up in London a lot."

"I was gonna vote for him," Martha said, shaking her head.

He turned to her in surprise. "Really?"

"Well, it was before I even met you. And I liked him," she defended herself.

"Me too," Jack admitted sheepishly.

The Doctor looked curious, turning to study his two friends. "Why do you say that? What was his policy? What did he stand for?"

"I dunno. He always sounded…good," Martha said dreamily, unconsciously tapping a rhythm with her fingers. "Like you could trust him. Just nice. He spoke about…I can't really remember, but it was good. Just the sound of his voice."

Leaning toward her, the Doctor pointed at her hand. "What's that?"

"What?" She jumped.

"That! That tapping, that rhythm! What are you doing?"

She looked down, frowning. "I dunno. It's nothing. It's j— I dunno!"

A tune played from the website and the words "SAXON BROADCAST ALL CHANNELS" appeared onscreen.

The Doctor scowled, but turned on the TV. "Our lord and master is speaking to his kingdom. Maybe there will be a glance of Rose."

On the screen, the Master was sitting in front of the ornate fireplace in the Cabinet Room. He was alone, much to their disappointment.

"Britain, Britain, Britain," he began in that smooth, hypnotic voice. "What extraordinary times we've had. Just a few years ago, this world was so small. And then they came, out of the unknown, falling from the skies. You've seen it happen—Big Ben destroyed, a spaceship over London. All those ghosts and metal men. The Christmas star that came to kill. Time and time again the government told you nothing. Well not me. Not Harold Saxon. I've alwas been open with the people, even about my poor sister's medical condition. And I'm going to be open again. Because my purpose here today is to tell you this—citizens of Great Britain…I have been contacted. A message, for humanity, from beyond the stars."

"His sister!" Jack said. "I remember that now. He told the voters his sister was severely depressed after the loss of her husband and that she tried to kill herself. That's when the brunette showed up. I can't believe I never recognized Rose."

The Doctor looked stricken. "Suicidal?"

Martha grabbed his hand. "No. Not our Rose. You know it's some sort of ploy, Doctor. Rose... YOUR Rose believes in you, and trusts you. She would never give up like that."

He gave her hand a squeeze as a video began of one of the spheres delivering the message.

"People of the Earth, we come in peace. We bring great gifts. We bring technology and wisdom and protection. And all we ask in return is your friendship."

The image switched back to the Master as hed cooed, "Ooh, sweet. And this species has identified itself. They're called the Toclafane."

"What?!" The Doctor shook his head in disbelief.

But the Master hadn't finished. "And tomorrow morning they will appear. Not in secret, but to all of you. Diplomatic relations with a new species will begin. Tomorrow, we take our place in the universe. Every man, woman and child. Every teacher and chemist and lorry driver and farmer. And every…oh, I don't know…medical student?"

The three of them were on their feet immediately. The Doctor turned the television to find some kind of explosive blinking calmly and only paused to grab Martha's laptop before they sped out into the street, barely making it to a safe distance before the entire flat blew.

"All right?" The Doctor asked with concern. Rose would be upset if any of them were hurt.

"Fine, yeah, fine," Jack answered, picking himself up.

"Martha?" He asked, turning to find the woman using her mobile. "What are you doing?"

"He knows about me. What about my family?" she explained.

"Don't tell them anything!" he said desperately. What if they hurt the Jones' family? He would never forgive himself.

"I'll do what I like!" Martha snapped, misunderstanding. "Mum? Oh my God, you're there... I'm fine. I'm fine. Mum, has there been anyone asking about me?"

Jack stepped close to the Time Lord and spoke softly while Martha talked to her mother.

"She's just young, Doc," he soothed the distressed man. "Young and upset."

"Rose was always young and upset too," the Doctor sighed. "But she always listened, trusted me."

Jack gave him an amused look. "Really? I remember it different. Didn't she absorb a Time Vortex and face down a bunch of Daleks after you told her to go home?"

The other man smiled fondly at the memory. "And gave herself up to the Family when I told her to stay in the TARDIS where it was safe."

"Found herself hanging from a barrage balloon during the London Blitz..."

They smiled at each other for a moment before the Doctor slumped. "Jack, I'm afraid for her. Eighteen months she's been with him..."

Jack gave his oldest friend a hug. "She's smart, and she's a survivor. And she's got the TARDIS. It will potect her."

The Doctor sighed softly, fighting tears of anger, fear, and frustration. "I just don't want to lose her, Jack. I... it will kill me, I think."

Jack nodded. "It will kill me too, Doc. She's the most important woman in the world to me."

"She's the most impotant thing in the universe."

The ex time agent sighed. "One of these days… I keep hoping to find someone like that. You think I ever will?"

"For your sake, Jack, I really hope so," the Doctor murmured.

Suddenly, they heard Martha shouting, "Dad! What's going on? Dad?"

Both men turned to look at her in alarm. She looked at them, terror written on her face.

"I gotta help them!" she cried, running to her car.

The Doctor tried to stop her. "That's exactly what they want! It's a trap!"

"I don't care!" she snapped. "If you knew just where your bloody wife was, you would be there right now. So don't tell me to stay here."

He couldn't think of a valid argument for that, so he climbed into the passenger's seat, and the captain leapt into the back seat. Martha drove recklessly down the road, determined to reach her family.

"Corner!" the Doctor cried as they squealed their way around the intersection.

Martha ignored him, waiting for a call to connect on her mobile. "C'mon, Tish. Pick up."

The people in the car heard Tish answer. "Martha! I was going to call you!"

"Tish, listen," her sister started to say.

The other Jones sister interrupted her. "No, Martha, lemme talk. Rose is here! I was in the room with Lucy Saxon and I saw her. She's got dark hair, and some kind of heavy metal bracelets on her arms, but I know it's her. Tell the Doctor. I'm heading for the doors now, it's only a bit before they… hey, let go… no, no stop!"

"What's happening?! Tish!" she glanced at the Doctor. "It's your fault! It's all your fault!"

"Hey!" Jack snapped. "He didn't do this."

They screeched to a stop in front of Martha's mother's house, to see her and Clive Jones being put into a police truck.

"Martha, get out of here! Get out!" Francine screamed.

The police took position, facing the car.

"Martha, reverse," the Doctor instructed calmly.

The squad aimed their weapons at the car.

"Get out, now!" he urged in a near panic.

She shook her head and reversed into a 3-Point turn.

The police opened fire at the three fugitives.

"Move it!" Jack shouted.

The little car screamed as Martha stomped the gas, taking off down the road, bullets shattering the rear window.

"The only place we can go…planet Earth. Great," Martha snapped, sarcastic and exceedingly put out with her friend.

"Careful!" he urged, not even bothering to argue. He deserved to be yelled at. He let he Master get Rose, get the Jones family… hell, he'd gotten all of Great Britain. The Doctor had failed.

"Now, Martha, listen to me," the captain said slowly and clearly. "Do as I say. We've gotta ditch this car. Pull over. Right now!"

She pulled to the side of the road, and the small company left the vehicle and continued on foot. The medical student fell behind as she dialed her brother's number on her mobile.

"Martha, come on!" the Doctor urged, eager to keep her safe, at least.

She blatantly ignored him. "Leo! Oh, thank God! Leo, you gotta listen to me. Where are you? …Leo, just listen to me. Don't go home, I'm telling you. Don't phone Mum or Dad or Tish. You've gotta hide."

Jack and the Doctor looked at each other, a bit of desperation in their faces.

"On my life. You've gotta trust me. Go to Boxer's. Stay with him. Don't tell anyone! Just hide!"

She stopped, a look in her eyes that was something between a start of horror and a glare of anger. The two men faced each other, trying to decide whether to pitch her phone in the gutter or leave her there.

"Let them go, Saxon. Do you hear me?! Let them go!" she shouted into the mobile.

The Doctor whirled about to face her and neatly snatched the phone out of her hand. "I'm here."

In the Cabinet Room, the Master smiled coldly. "Doctor."

Rose, having been gagged and made to listen in, struggled against her restraints. Hearing him taunt Martha was hard, but the voice of her husband after so many months nearly killed her.

"Master."

"I like it when you use my name," her tormentor smirked.

"You chose it. Psychiatrist's field day."

She began working the gag off her mouth. She had to let him know she was okay…

"As you chose yours. The man who makes people better. How sanctimonious is that?"

"So… Prime Minister," the Doctor stalled.

"I know. It's good, isn't it?" the Master laughed.

"Who are those creatures? 'Cause there's no such thing as the Toclafane. It's just a made-up name like the Bogeyman," the Doctor asked.

"Do you remember all those fairy tales about the Toclafane when we were kids? Back home. Where is it, Doctor?" the Master said, knowing the answer, but also knowing how much it would hurt his enemy to have to say it.

Rose strained against her restraints, longing to comfort him.

"Gone," came the tight answer.

"How can Gallifrey be gone?" the Master pressed.

"It burnt."

"And the Time Lords?"

They were alone in the room, so only Rose saw the joy he took in tormenting the Doctor.

Dead. And the Daleks… more or less. What happened to you?"

"The Time Lords only resurrected me because they knew I'd be the perfect warrior for a Time War. I was there when the Dalek Emperor took control of the Cruciform. I saw it. I ran. I ran so far. Made myself human so they would never find me because…I was so scared."

At once, Rose knew her Doctor would want to save the Master. She knew because she wanted to help him. Maybe it was that leftover bit of the Vortex swirling in her own mind, but she just _knew_ that what he had become should not be.

"I know." The Doctor's voice was soft, compassionate.

"All of them? But now you, which must mean…" the Master's tone was impressed.

Rose's heart broke at the pain in her husband's voice as he said, "I was the only one who could end it. And I tried. I did. I tried everything."

Whatever understanding or compassion the Master briefly felt switched off and his manic destructive nature returned. "What did it feel like, though? Two almighty civilizations burning. Oh, tell me, how did it feel?"

"Stop it!"

"You must have been like God," the politician continued to taunt.

"I've been alone ever since. But not anymore. Don't you see, all we've got is each other."

"Are you asking me out on a date?" the Master chortled. "Aren't you sort of attached, Doctor?"

The silence drug on for a long moment before the Doctor spoke again. Rose recognized the voice. The Oncoming Storm that frightened the Daleks and Cybermen both. "Where. Is. My. Rose?"

"My, my… so possessive, Doctor," the Master laughed.

Finally her mouth was free. "Doctor! I'm safe! I'm fine!"

Her captor looked at her, a bit startled to hear her voice. "I thought I had taught you to be quiet, little Rose…"

And he pressed the button she'd come to hate. The button that sent electrical pulses through her wrist restraints. She gave a soft cry as a larger than normal dose coursed through her.

"Don't you hurt her, Master, or I swear…"

"Too late," the madman sneered. "Bit cheeky, isn't she? But we've almost trained her to hold her tongue."

"What have you done to her?" the Doctor shouted into the phone.

Doctor, I'm fine!" the trembling woman called, despite the tremors in her aching muscles.

"The drumming," the Master murmured, drumming his fingers on the table as he walked around it to where his captive had sank to her knees. "I thought it would stop but it never does. Never ever stops. Inside my head, the drumming, Doctor. The constant drumming."

"I could help you. Please, let me help," the Doctor pleaded.

"It's everywhere. Listen, listen, listen. Here come the drums. Here come the drums."

Rose glared at the Master defiantly as he stood over her. She rolled back onto her bum and kicked out at him in a way she hadn't for nearly a year. So he resorted to a tactic that had worked to quell her aggression in the past. He balled up a fist and punched her in the face, knocking her cold.

"Quite the spitfire, even now…" he murmured.

The Doctor's panic soared. "What have you done to her? Tell me how you've done all this to Britain. What are those creatures? Tell me!"

"Ooh, look. You're on TV," the Master informed him gleefully.

"Stop it! Answer me!" The Doctor snapped.

"No, really. You're on telly! You and your little band, which, by the way, is ticking every demographic box. So, congratulations on that. Look, there you are! Ha! Could have used a blonde for looks, though."

The Doctor saw a TV in a shop window and motioned toward it to draw Jack and Martha's attention.

"…They are known to be armed and extremely dangerous."

"What happened to Rose? Why is she quiet now?"

"You're public enemies number one, two and three. Oh, and you can tell handsome Jack that I've sent his little gang off on a wild goose chase to the Himalayas so he won't be getting any help from them. Now, go on, off you go. Why not start by turning to the right?"

The Doctor turned and noticed the camera. "He can see us."

He used the sonic screwdriver on the camera, causing it to blow and grabbing the attention of his two companions.

"Ooh, you public menace. Better start running. Go on. Run!"

"He's got control of everything," the Doctor told the other two.

"What do we do?" Martha asked, sorry now that she'd turned on the Doctor for even the slightest moment.

Jack looked at the Doctor, an absolute trust in his eyes. "We've got nowhere to go."

"Doctor, what do we do?" Martha asked.

The Master's laugh could be heard clearly over the phone. "Run for your life, Doctor!"

The Time Lord looked at the two with a bemused expression. He needed time to think and figure things out. His answer was almost an apology. "We run."

And they did. They ran like hell until they were safely away from the Master's reach, at least for a short time.

Much later that evening, Martha walked into a disused warehouse, a carrier bag of takeaway in her hand. The Doctor was still at the laptop while Jack made adjustments to his manipulator, the same positions they were in when she left.

Jack noticed first and looked up at her. She tried not to flinch from the slight accusation in his eyes. Okay, he'd been bitter when he'd finally found Rose and the Doctor after looking for them for so long, but he hadn't blamed the Doctor for the problems in his life, or ignored directions when the Doctor needed him to obey.

"How was it?" the American asked, his tone neutral.

"I don't think anyone saw me," she said hesitantly. "Anything new?"

"I've got this tuned into the government wavelength so we can follow what Saxon's doing," the captain said with a shrug.

"Yeah, I meant about my family," she said, dropping her eyes again.

The Doctor didn't look up. "It still says the Jones family taken in for questioning. Tell you what, though, no mention of Leo."

"He's not as daft as he looks. I'm talking about my brother on the run. How did this happen?"

Jack stared at the woman for a long moment. "As far, as we know, Rose is still alive."

Martha flinched visibly. The Doctor glanced up, narrowing his eyes.

"Don't do that, Jack."

For a moment, nothing was said, then the captain sat and stuck a bite in his mouth. "Nice chips."

"Actually, they're not bad," the Doctor agreed, popping one into his mouth.

Martha sat and tried to eat. Nothing was said for a while, then Jack tipped his head at the Doctor.

"So, Doctor, who is he? How come the ancient society of Time Lords created a psychopath?" He asked.

"And what is he to you? Like a colleague…" Martha added.

"A friend, at first," the Time Lord admitted.

"I thought you were gonna say he was your secret brother or something," the medical student admitted.

The two men stared at her silently.

The Doctor laughed. "You've been watching too much TV."

She chuckled half-heartedly, still not meeting their eyes.

Jack snorted. "But all the legends of Gallifrey made it sound so perfect."

He sighed. "Well, perfect to look at, maybe. And it was, it was beautiful. They used to call it the Shining World of the Seven Systems. And on the Continent of Wild Endeavour, in the Mountains of Solace and Solitude, there stood the Citadel of the Time Lords… The oldest and most mighty race in the universe…looking down on the galaxies below…sworn never to interfere…only to watch… Children of Gallifrey, taken from their families at the age of eight to enter the Academy. And some say that's when it all began. When he was a child… that's when the Master saw eternity. As a novice, he was taken for initiation, it's a gap in the fabric of reality through which could be seen the whole of the vortex. You stand there, eight years old…staring at the raw power of time and space, just a child. Some would be inspired…some would run away…and some would go mad."

His voice dipped into a whisper, his tone one of absolute loss and dread.

"What about you?" Martha wondered.

It didn't seem to bother the Doctor that he'd just stuffed his mouth full of chips, and spoke anyway. "Oh, the ones that ran away. I never stopped."

They ate in silence for a few minutes until the manipulator on Jack's arm beeped.

Jack frowned at it. "Encrypted channel with files attached. Don't recognize it."

"Patch it through to the laptop," the Doctor suggested.

The captain nodded, moving to the computer with a slight cringe. "Um, since we're telling stories, um, there's something I haven't told you. And you're gonna have to help me explain to Rose later."

The Torchwood logo appeared on the screen, causing the Doctor to frown intensely.

"You work for Torchwood," the 900 year old man said slowly, hoping Jack would deny it.

Instead, Jack looked at him desperately. "I swear to you, it's different. It's changed. There's only half a dozen of us now."

"Everything Torchwood did and you're part of it?!" The Doctor asked, eyes wide. "They hurt Rose, so very deeply, and they nearly took her from me. Oh, you're going to need more than my help with that explanation."

Jack sighed. "The old regime was destroyed at Canary Wharf. I rebuilt it, I changed it. And when I did that, I did it for you, in your honour. I did it to make the two of you proud..."

The Doctor glared at the logo for a long, heavy moment, before reaching over and patting Jack's arm. Then he stretched his hand to the computer and opened the file.

The face of a middle aged woman stared out at them, unmistakable fear behind her eyes. She began talking.

"If I haven't returned to my desk by 2200 hours, this file will be emailed to Torchwood. Which means, if you're watching this, then I'm… Anyway, the Saxon files are attached. But take a look at the Archangel document. That's when it all started. When Harry Saxon became Minister in charge of launching the Archangel Network."

The screen changed to show a graphic of a spinning Earth with satellites.

"What's the Archangel Network?" The Doctor asked curiously.

Martha pulled out her mobile and showed it to the Doctor. "I've got Archangel. Everyone's got it."

"It's the mobile phone network. 'Cause, look, it's gone worldwide. They've got 15 satellites in orbit. Even the other networks, they're all carried by Archangel," Jack explained more thoroughly. Privately he stopped himself from throwing a dirty look at the woman. He had to stop holding a grudge for her actions. The Doctor wasn't, and Rose was his wife. Besides, she couldn't help being frightened for her family. He was too, but he considered Rose and the Doctor to be that family, so naturally his priorities would be different.

His almost brother in law was using the sonic screwdriver on Martha's phone, trying to figure out this network, muttering to himself as usual.

"It's in the phones! Oh, I said he was a hypnotist! Wait, wait, wait. Hold on." He tapped the phone against the table and it began to beep in the same rhythm that everything had. "There it is. That rhythm, it's everywhere. Ticking away in the subconscious."

"What is it, mind control?" the young woman asked, frightened.

The Doctor smiled reassuringly at her. "No, no, no, no. Subtler than that. Any stronger and people would question it. But contained in that rhythm, in layers of code… Vote Saxon. Believe in me. Whispering to the world. Oh, yes! That's how he hid himself from me. 'Cause I should have sensed there was another Time Lord on Earth. I should have known way back. The signal cancelled him out."

"Any way you can stop it?" Jack asked, trusting that if there was a way, he would be the one to know.

Not from down here," the Doctor admitted. "But now we know how he's doing it."

"And we can fight back." It was half statement, half question. Martha wanted her family and friends safe. All of them.

"Oh, yes!" the Doctor assured them both, taking apart the mobile and the laptop. He then took Jack and Martha's TARDIS keys. He used the sonic screwdriver to weld circuitry to the keys while the other two watched in awe. He then tied the adjusted keys to string so they could be worn around the neck and looked up as though expecting praise. "Three TARDIS keys, three pieces of the TARDIS with low-level perception properties because the TARDIS is designed to blend in. Well, sort of, but… Now! The Archangel Network's got a second low-level signal. Weld the key to the network and… Martha, look at me. You can see me, yes?"

"Yep!" she said, not quite following yet.

"What about now?" he asked, slipping the key over his neck.

Martha's vision veered off and she blinked a time or two in confusion. Jack chuckled, feeling lighter with the Doctor's exuberance.

"No, I'm here. Look at me," the Doctor said patiently.

"It's like…I know you're there but I don't want to know," she said in confusion.

"And back again," he assured her, taking off key. "See? It just shifts your perception a tiny little bit. Doesn't make us invisible, just unnoticed. Oh, I know what it's like. It's like—it's like when you fancy someone and they don't even know you exist. That's what it's like. Come on!"

Jack really did laugh at that. "Rose would love that explanation."

The Doctor looked down at the key with a small, sad smile. Rose would have loved the whole adventure. She would understand about the mixed feelings he was having about the Master, and she would have loved the chips. She would have held his hand and had such faith in him… His hand twitched slightly, longing to hold hers again.

"We're going to get her back," Jack said, breaking into his thoughts. "Doc, we aren't going to give up on little sister just yet."

"We'll save them all," Martha promised.

The three of them slipped the keys over their heads and walked out onto the streets.

"Don't run. Don't shout. Just keep your voice down. Draw attention to yourself and the spell is broken. Just keep to the shadows," the Doctor directed in a soft, even tone.

"Like ghosts," the captain grinned.

Yeah, that's what we are. Ghosts."

The rest of the night passed quietly, but the next morning found everyone readying their plans. The Master arrived with Lucy and Rose on the tarmas to greet the American President.

Rose wanted desperately to scream to everyone to run as far from the Master as they could, but the bruises around her throat made speaking difficult. That's why they were there, after all. She kept her head down, the bruising on her left cheek still rather swollen. The restraints were up high today, any interference and she would be shocked into unconsciousness.

The Master saluted President Winters. "Mr. President, sir!"

With a scowl, the man shook his head. "Mr. Saxon. The British Army will stand down. From now on, UNIT has control of this operation."

"You make it sound like an invasion," the sandy haired man said with a delighted grin.

"First contact policy was decided by the Security Council in 1968. And you've just gone and ignored it," Winters said scathingly.

"Well, you know what it's like. New job, all that paperwork. I think it's down the back of the settee. I did have a quick look. I found a pen, a sweet, a bus ticket and uh…have you met the wife?" the Master babbled harmlessly.

"Mr. Saxon, I'm not sure what your game is but there are provisions at the United Nations to have you removed from office unless you are very, very careful. Is that understood?" he asked severely as the man he knew as Saxon mimed zipping his lips. "Are you taking this seriously? To business. We've accessed your files on these…Toclafane."

The Doctor, Jack, and Martha weren't far away then, frowning aggressively at the Master and his ridiculous antics.

The President continued. "First contact cannot take place on any sovereign soil. For that purpose, the aircraft carrier Valiant is en route. The rendezvous will take place there at 8:00 am. You're trying my patience, sir."

The last part was directed to the Master, who appeared to be trying to talk through his zipped lips. He unzipped them and asked cheerfully, "So America is completely in charge?"

"Since Britain elected an ass, yes. I'll see you onboard the Valiant," Winters snapped, turning to leave.

"It still will be televised, though, won't it? Because I promised, and the whole world is watching."

"Since it's too late to pull out, the world will be watching. Me." He walked to a waiting car.

In a low voice, the Master murmured, "The last President of America. We have a private plane ready and waiting. We should reach the Valiant within the hour. My darling. And you, Rose."

As Lucy led their permanent captive away, a police van pulled up and opened to reveal Francine, Clive, and Tish. The Master ran up to them and smiles brightly.

"Hi, guys! All will be revealed!" he laughed at them.

"Oh my God," Martha breathed.

"Don't move," the Doctor warned her.

"But…"

He looked at her, raw emotion in his eyes. "Don't."

She nodded, knowing that he wanted no more than to go gather his wife into his arms and keep her safe. She turned to watch her family being transferred to a Land Rover.

"I'm gonna kill him," Martha hissed.

Jack leaned toward the Doctor. "Say I use this perception filter to walk up behind him and break his neck?"

"Now that sounds like Torchwood," his friend teased.

"Still a good plan," the captain returned with a shrug.

The Doctor sighed, trying to make Jack understand. "He's a Time Lord, which makes him my responsibility. I'm not here to kill him. I'm here to save him. Rose would want us to try."

They met each other's eyes, both feeling the same way. Martha was focused on her family, and that was fine. But for both Jack and the Doctor, Rose was their family. Sister and wife and best friend. Even though both men wanted to make the Master suffer for any harm he'd done her, they knew that her compassionate nature would want to save this last member of her husband's people.

Jack nodded, punching a few buttons on the manipulator. "Aircraft carrier Valiant. It's a UNIT ship at 28.2N and 10.02E."

"How do we get onboard?" Martha asked.

The Doctor nodded toward the vortex manipulator. "Does that thing work as a teleport?"

"Since you revamped it, yeah. Coordinates set," the ex time agent grinned at him.

The Doctor made sure he and Martha were touching the device, and touched the button. Seconds later, they found themselves in an engine room, and the two humans groaned. He wanted to feel bad that they feel the effects more keenly than him, but he was so close to getting his wife back it was hard to focus on anything else.

"Oh, that thing is rough," Martha complained.

With a grinning glance at the Doctor, Jack cracked his neck and quipped, "I've has worse nights. Welcome to the Valiant."

"Hold on, I thought this was a ship. Where's the sea?" The medical student said, looking out a porthole.

"A ship for the 21st century. Protecting the skies of planet Earth," the captain smiled.

In another part of the ship, a woman lifted her head. Just like the ship she was connected to, she felt the nearness of someone she'd ached for for over a year. Near her were the Master and Ucy, facing President Winters, surrounded by his secret service.

"I want the whole thing branded in my sort of honest, not the United Nations'. Got that?" Winters said sternly.

The Master grinned at the president, an expression most would consider friendly, but made one woman shudder. "Anything I can do? I could make tea or isn't that American enough? I don't know, I could make grits. What are grits, anyway?"

"It you could just sit," Winters snapped in agitation, much as though he saw the Master as an annoying child.

The Master winked at Rose, grinning more broadly when she closed her eyes and cringed away from him. "Misery guts. What do you think? It's good, isn't it?" He pulled a chair out for Lucy who smiled adoringly at him.

"It's beautiful," she told him.

"Some of my best work. Ministry of Defence. I helped design this place. Every detail," he bragged softly to his wife, knowing Rose heard and understood what he meant.

Rose stopped listening. She closed her eyes and wandered from the room. She couldn' escape the Valiant while it was in the air, and the Master knew it.

Below, the Doctor, Jack and Martha were running through the maintenance corridor when the Doctor stopped dead. Jack lookd at him in exasperation.

"Doc! We've no time for sightseeing!"

"No, no. Wait. Shh, shh, shh," he replied, tipping his head. "Can't you hear it?"

"Hear what?"

"Doctor, my family's on board," Martha reminded him, striding past the two men.

"Brilliant! This way!" The Doctor whirled and ran in a new direction.

The other two followed him, all three grinning widely when he opened a set of doors to reveal the TARDIS.

"Oh, at last!" He sighed, "Now all I need is Rose."

"Oh, yes!" Martha laughed.

"What's it doing on the Valiant?" Jack asked curiously

They opened the doors to the TARDIS to see a very different interior bathed in red.

"The Master designed the Valiant around her," a familiar voice said behind them.

Whirling and nearly shoving the other two out of the way, the Doctor grabbed his wife and hauled her into his arms, tears pouring down both their faces. After a moment, he pulled back, grinning and cupping her face.

"You're okay," he breathed.

"Of course I am," she assured him. "Where's the fun in killing me if you don't watch? Also, she's still healing me."

"Speaking of the TARDIS," Jack interrupted, "what the hell's he done?"

She moved to hug him, then Martha, before moving back into the Doctor's arms. "Don't touch her. I haven't been able to figure it out yet, but I know what it will do."

"I'm not going to," Jack promised.

"What's he done though? Sounds like it's… sick," Martha asked.

The four moved closer, though it obviously pained Rose to do so. They could see that the console had been stripped of certain parts and caged off. The Doctor waked around it, a growing look of horror in his eyes until he finally looked at his wife.

"It can't be. No, no, no, no, no, no, it can't be."

She nodded sadly. "Yes."

"And you can feel this?" he clarified.

Rose shrugged. "Sort of. It's building toward the moment of operation."

Martha looked between them in complete confusion. "Doctor, what is it?"

He's cannibalised the TARDIS," the Time Lord replied, trying to work out how it might affect someone who was connected to the TARDIS.

Jack walked over to the woman he considered family. "Is that what I think it is?"

"It's a paradox machine," Rose confirmed, the hazel of her eyes flecked with gold. "And none of us are going to be able to touch it just yet."

In the control room, President Winters was the picture of containment and authority. "Two minutes, everyone! According to the treaty, all armed personnel are requested to leave the flight deck immediately. Thank you."

The Master and Lucy were watching like it was all entertainment. He leaned over and offered her a bit of the candy he was snacking on. "Jelly baby?"

"Broadcasting at 7:58 with the arrival timed at 0800 precisely. And, uh, good luck to all of us," the president said, a bit nervously.

"As soon as this hits red, it activates. At this speed, it'll trigger..." the Doctor was saying, grabbing Jack's hand and turning it to look at his watch, "at two minutes past 8:00."

"First contact is at 8:00 and then two minutes later…" the captain murmured.

"What's it for? What's a paradox machine do?" Martha asked them all.

Rose shook her head, turning hopefully to the Doctor. "More importantly, can you stop it?"

He sighed. "Not until I know what it's doing. Touch the wrong bit and blow up the solar system."

His wife nodded. "Yeah, that's been my problem too."

"Then we've got to get to the Master," the medical student said decisively. She looked at Rose, the corner of her eye catching on what looked to be metal cuffs. "Rose... those are really unattractive bracelets."

The woman looked down, frowning a bit. "That's because they're restraints, not bracelets."

The Doctor looked sharply at her, then lifted her hands to study the metal contraptions on his wife's arms. "They look harmless enough..."

"So get them off her," Jack said, quickly moving to attempt to pry one of the restraints off.

"No!" the Doctor shouted.

Rose jerked her hands away and hissed as an electrical current shot through her. Once it passed, she smiled weakly, "If I wasn't so used to that, I would slap you, Jack."

Martha blinked in shock. "What happened?"

"Any time I try to get out of them... or talk back, or try to escape, or warn people... or really anything he feels like,, it shocs me," she explained.

"And you're _used_ to it?!" The medical student asked incredulously.

The Doctor took her hands again and gently lifted the edge, wincing at the red, angry flesh beneath. "Oh, my Rose..."

"I heal fast," she reminded him softly. "No scars. Except the one I want to keep."

She showed him her right palm, the faint line that marked their marriage still there. He covered it with his own scarred left hand and nodded, leaning forward to kiss her forehead.

Jack looked ready to kill at how Rose had been treated. "How do we stop him?"

"Oh, I've got a way. Sorry, didn't I tell you?" The Doctor finally grinned.

The president began addressing the cameras as Rose led them to the control room. She winced as they entered, a jolt from her restraints letting her know that the Master had seen them.

"My fellow Americans, patriots, people of the world…I stand before you today as ambassador for humanity, a role I will undertake with utmost solemnity. Perhaps our Toclafane cousins can offer us much, but that is important is not that we gain material benefits, but that we learn to see ourselves anew. For as long as man has looked to the stars, he has wondered what mysteries they hold. Now we know we are not alone…"

"This plan, you gonna tell us?" Jack asked the Doctor softly.

"If I can get this around the Master's neck…cancel out his perception, they'll see him for real. It's just hard to go unnoticed with everyone on red alert. If they stop me…you've got a key."

"Yes, sir," the captain replied with a mock salute.

"I'll get him," Martha added.

The president spread his arms, welcoming the spheres that began to appear. "And I ask you now, I ask of the human race, to join with me in welcoming our friends. I give you the Toclafane. My name is Arthur Coleman Winters, President-Elect of the United States of America and designated representative of the United Nations. I welcome you to the planet Earth and its associated moon."

The spheres bobbed a bit before one said, "You're not the Master."

"We like the Mr. Master," another added.

"We don't like you," a third spoke.

The President looked a bit nervous, but tried to retain control over the situation. "I… can be Master, if you so wish. I will accept mastery over you if that is God's will."

"Man is stupid," one of the spheres snickered.

"Master is our friend," the first explained.

"Where's my Master, pretty please?"

President Winters looked out, a bit confused.

"Oh, all right then. It's me," the Master finally said, standing up and giving a bit of a laugh. "Ta-da! Sorry. Sorry, I have this effect. People just get obsessed. Is it the smile? Is it the aftershave? Is it the capacity to laugh at myself? I don't know. It's crazy!"

"Saxon, what are you talkin' about?" Winters snapped.

The Master became quite serious. "I'm taking control, Uncle Sam. Starting with you. Kill him."

One of the floating spheres immediately fired on the president, disintegrating him. There was a half second of shocked silence before all hell broke loose and people began shouting and rushing for the exits. No one made it far because the Master's guards pulled weapons and trained them on those in the room.

He waved to them. "Guards!"

"Nobody move! Nobody move!" the captain of the guard shouted authoritatively.

The Master walked to the camera, lifting his chin slightly, as though addressing servants. "Now then, peoples of the Earth, please attend carefully."

The Doctor rushed forward, before Rose could stop him, and with a shout, two guards quickly grabbed him and forced him to his knees on the floor.

"We meet at last, Doctor. Oh, ho! I love saying that!" the Master grinned. "I've been hearing such things about you from your little woman."

"Stop this! Stop it now!" the Doctor told him, somewhere between an order and a plea.

The Master snorted. "As if a perception filter's gonna work on me. Your pretty little wife should have warned you about all that time we spent together. Oh, and look, you've brought the girlie and the freak. Although, I'm not sure which one's which."

Jack rushed at the Master and the maddened Time Lord calmly pulled out a device from his pocket and fired it at him. Jack crumpled to the floor.

"Laser screwdriver," the madman boasted, "who'd have sonic? And the good thing is, he's not dead for long. I get to kill him again!"

Martha moved to Jack's side, while Rose moved around, wanting to get close enough to help.

"Master, just calm down. Just look at what you're doing. Just stop. If you could see yourself…" the Doctor said.

"Oh, do excuse me, little bit of personal business. Back in a minute," the Master said to the cameras before turning to the guards. "Let him go."

As he was shoved roughly to the floor, the Doctor said, "It's that sound, the sound in your head. What if I could help?"

"Oh, how to shut him up? I know. Memory Lane!" he crowed, sitting on the steps, facing the Doctor. "Professor Lazarus. Remember him? And his genetic manipulation device? Did you think that little Tish got that job merely by coincidence? I've been laying traps for you all this time. And if I can concentrate all that Lazarus technology into one little screwdriver…But, ooh, if I only had the Doctor's biological code. Oh, wait a minute, I do! I've got his hand! And if Lazarus made himself younger, what if I reverse it? Another hundred years?"

The Master aimed his laser screwdriver at the Doctor, who screamed as he went into convulsions while his genetic makeup was altered. Rose rushed to him.

"No!" she shouted, not noticing Jack reviving.

"Teleport," the captain urged her, wrapping the manipulator around her wrist.

"I can't," she sobbed.

"We can't stop him. Get out of here. Get out."

The Master stopped as his captive knelt next to her husband, holding him gently.

"Aww, gentle Rose, did I hurt your heart? Maybe we ought to just let you go. Oh, but there's only one way to do that…"

A quick shot of the laser and the Master had completely severed Rose's left hand, making her, the Doctor, Martha, and Jack scream. Martha rushed to her friend's side.

"I've got you, Rose," she said.

"Aw, she's a would-be doctor. But tonight, Martha Jones, we've flown 'em in all the way from prison…"

The door slid open and guards escorted in Francine, Clive and Tish.

"Mum," Martha breathed.

"I'm sorry," Francine cried from across the room.

"The Toclafane, who are they? Who are they?" the Doctor wheezed, trying not to focus on his precious Rose's blood spilling onto the floor.

"Doctor, if I told you the truth, your hearts would break," the Master said gleefully.

"Is it time?" one of the Toclafane asked eagerly.

"Is it ready?"

"Is the machine singing?"

The Master checked his watch and grinned. "Two minutes past. So! Earthings. Basically, um, end of the world." He said as he moved back up the small steps to stand next to Lucy as he held up his screwdriver. "Here…come…the drums!"

Music began playing in the control room._ "Here come the drums. Here come the drums…"_

The paradox machine activated and Rose gave a sudden loud shriek and burst into golden sparks, disappearing from sight. The Doctor grabbed Martha's arm and pulled her down, whispering quickly into her ear, trying to explain something to her.

"_Baby, baby, baby. You are my voodoo child, my voodoo child…"_

The Master and Lucy watched out the window.

"_Don't say maybe, maybe. It's supernatural. I'm comin' undone…"_

Above the Valiant, a rift tore open in the sky.

"_Baby, baby, baby. You are my voodoo child, my voodoo child…"_

Toclafane by the thousands exited the rift.

"_Don't say maybe, maybe. It's supernatural. I'm comin' undone. Baby, baby, baby. You are my voodoo child, my voodoo child…"_

"How many do you think?" the Time Lord asked the woman at his side.

"I don't know," she replied, shaking her head in wonder.

"Six billion," he answered blithely as he switched on outside speaker. "Down you go, kids!"

The Toclafane swarmed the whole Earth, every city, everywhere. People went into the streets to see what was happening and the Toclafane began firing indiscriminately.

"Shall we decimate them? That sounds good. Nice word—decimate," the Master said cheerfully as he gave an order to his shiny new army. "Remove one-tenth of the population!"

The Toclafane burst into people's homes. Martha could only cry as she heard the messages coming in from the surface.

"Valiant, this is Geneva! We're getting slaughtered down here!"

With a last, frightened look at the Doctor, she nodded and stood.

"Help us, for God's sake! Help us! They're everywhere!"

She looked to Jack, not sure what happened to Rose, but knowing the captain would take care of her family and the Doctor.

"This is London, Valiant! This is London calling! What do we do?!"

She looked at her family, hoping they understood what she had to do.

"They're killing us! The Toclafane are killing us!"

With a last look at the Doctor, Martha activated the teleporter. The Doctor squeezed his eyes closed and took a deep breath. When he opened them, Jack was staring at him, both men thinking similar thoughts. They had to find out what happened to Rose.

Martha arrived in a field overlooking the destruction of London. She glanced up at the sky, where the Valiant sailed on without her.

"I'm coming back," she swore before running off.

The Master forced the Doctor to the window to watch the fall of Earth.

"And so it came to pass…that the human race fell and the Earth was no more. And I looked down upon my new dominion as master of all and I thought it…good."

The Doctor could do nothing. He sighed, and let his mind be consumed with thoughts of his disappearing wife and his friend who had just traded one hell for another.

_A/N: Oh my gosh! What happened to Rose?! I wish you could hear my evil cackle. Reviews please! I have a fond little dream of 200 reviews before season three is finished. It would make my little heart burst. I'm working feverishly on The Last of the Time Lords, and hopefully I can finish it quickly for you. Review, review, pretty please!_


	15. 0313 The Last of the Time Lords

_A/N: The long awaited finale. Though, I'm still not entirely pleased with the result._

Season Three: The Last of the Time Lords

A year… it had been a year. An entire year in which Rose Tyler had not been seen and had only been heard from in the dreams of those she loved. The TARDIS had used the growing connection it felt to her to pull her out of the physical world before the paradox began. She could see everything that was happening, but she could help anyone, or touch them. She quickly realized the only way to even talk to anyone was to enter their dreams or alter psychic waves.

Fancy that, she could interact with dreams, but nothing real.

At the moment, she'd searched out Martha. It was easier to be near the TARDIS while she was like this, but Rose was determined not to let Martha get killed before she made it back to the Doctor. Her friend was moving toward the shore, looking grim and tired. Rose wanted to hug her, but even as she reached out, she could tell that the former medical student had no idea she was even there.

An old fashioned lantern shone from her destination, held by a man who looked somewhere in his late was nearly there. Martha's figure, dressed in black, waded ashore and strode up the beach. She'd followed instructions left in dreams for years now.

"I'm here, Rose," she murmured. "I haven't let you and the Doctor down yet."

_You never will,_ the spirit-like woman replied, knowing it wouldn't be heard.

Looking to the man waiting for her, the black woman smiled. "What's your name, then?"

"Tom Milligan," he replied, seeming eager to please her. "No need to ask who you are, the famous Martha Jones. How long since you were last in Britain?"

"365 days. It's been a long year."

Rose thought to the tortures she'd witnessed aboard the Valiant and nodded. It had been an exceedingly long year, and she only hoped the plan the Doctor had explained to her was going to work. Because she didn't know how much longer she could stand not being able to touch or help her family – and Martha's.

The two she was watching began to walk up the beach.

"So what's the plan?" Tom asked, ready to help free the human race.

"This Professor Docherty. I need to see her. Can you get me there?"

"She works in a repair shed, Nuclear Plant 7. I can get you inside. What's all this for? What's so important about her?"

The woman shook her head, her eyes even guarded. Rose hated what the Master had forced her friend to become, and hoped that it would all be over soon.

"Sorry, the more you know, the more you're at risk."

Tom nodded, accepting her answer. After a moment, he spoke in a far away tone, "There's a lot of people depending on you. You're a bit of a legend."

Martha barely kept from snorting. She was spreading the real legend. "What does the legend say?"

The man's voice became almost reverent. "That you sailed the Atlantic, walked across America. That you're the only person to get out of Japan alive. 'Martha Jones', they say, 'She's gonna save the world.' Bit late for that."

Martha shuddered at the mention of Japan. If she hadn't had that dream of Rose, telling her to get out, she would have been another casualty of the slaughter. She saw Tom's truck ahead of them.

"How come you can drive? Don't you get stopped?"

"Medical staff. Used to be in paediatrics back in the old days. But that gives me a license to travel so I can help out at the labour camps."

Rose wanted to cry at the thought of how many deaths this man would have had to witness without the equipment to prevent them.

"Great," Martha laughed. "I'm travelling with a doctor."

They both got into the truck and Rose could hear just another flash of conversation before she left them for the time being.

"Story goes, that you're the only person on Earth who can kill him. That you, and you alone, can kill the Master stone dead," Tom said, trying to get information out of his passenger.

"Let's just drive."

With a slight shake of her head, the former shop girl closed her eyes and let her consciousness return to the TARDIS. Ghosting a hand over the cannibalized console, she moved out into the Valiant. She moved to the control room, looking around sadly.

"Citizens rejoice. Your lord and master stands on high playing Track 3," she heard the Master announce before dancing into the room, singing a song she'd come to hate.

"I can't decide whether you should live or die…" he crooned, sidling up to Lucy in her red formal gown.

Lucy represented a personal failure to Rose. She should have tried harder to get her away from the Master, but she'd let the fear of a little electric shock silence her. Now, the woman was nearly dead inside, barely reacting when her husband abused her and others.

"Though you'll probably go to Heaven. Please don't hang your head and cry…" he continued, pausing to kiss the nearly unresponsive woman. "No wonder why my heart feels dead inside. It's cold and hard and petrified. Lock the doors and close the blinds, we're goin' for a ride…"

The Master sat in one of the chairs at the table and twirled childishly as Francine Jones, in a maid's uniform, served him tea. "Oh, I could throw you in a lake or feed you poisoned birthday cake. I won't deny I'm gonna miss you when you're gone…"

Jumping to his feet again, he ran up onto the bridge and began ringing an old-fashioned ship's bell. The Doctor crawled out of a tent that had straw on the floor. Beside the tent was a bowl that read "DOG". Rose felt tears slip down her cheeks again to see him so subjugated. She knew he was going to continue his act of obedience as long as it kept the Master from hurting anyone, but it still hurt to see. She visited his dreams more than anyone else's. It was the only place she could talk to him.

"Oh, I could bury you alive but you might crawl out with a knife and kill me when I'm sleeping, that's why…" The Master sang happily, moving down and forcing the Doctor into a wheelchair. "I can't decide whether you should live or die though you'll probably go to Heaven. Please don't hang your head and cry. No wonder why my heart feels dead inside. It's cold and hard and petrified. Lock the doors and close the blinds, we're goin' for a ride…"

The two Time Lord whirled around the room, one overly happy, the other depressed that he had so failed to protect those around him, ending up by one of the windows.

"It's ready to rise, Doctor. The new Time Lord Empire," the Master said with a smile as some Toclafane spheres floated by. "It's good, isn't it? Isn't it good? Anything? No? Anything?"

The psychotic man waved his hand in front of the Doctor's face, but the other man didn't react, he merely stared out at the spheres. Rose felt her heart clench. She remembered clearly the night he'd told her what the Toclafane really were.

"Oh, but they broke your hearts, didn't they? Those Toclafane, ever since you worked out what they really are. They say Martha Jones…has come back home. Now why would she do that?"

That finally got a reaction from him.

"Leave her alone," the Doctor commanded weakly.

The Master grinned at the tiny reaction. "But you said something to her, didn't you? On the day I took control. What did you tell her?"

The man in the wheelchair smiled a bit. "I have one thing to say to you. You know what it is."

"Oh, no you don't!" he said, almost panicked, as he got up and pushed the DOCTOR away until he hit a wall.

Rose shook her head. The Master wanted to be hated, feared – the idea that the Doctor wanted to forgive him and give him another chance scared him more than anything else. He really was unstable.

"Valiant now entering Zone One airspace. Citizens rejoice," the automatic announcement rang through the control room.

Shaking himself, the Master clapped his hands and looking around eagerly. "Come on, people! What are we doing? Launch Day in 24 hours!"

The Doctor pressed three fingers against his thigh. Rose looked up to see Francine nodding. She swore to herself. Another attempt to stop the Master. She'd told him in his dream that she didn't think this was going to help, but he'd insisted the attempt was necessary, and so she'd passed the details on to those they could trust through her only means of communication. It had taken a while for Martha's family to trust that they weren't insane and merely imagining her. Francine walked by and out into the corridor past her ex husband, who was now a janitor, and Rose followed her. The haggard woman held up three fingers and kept walking. When their remaining daughter, also a maid, passed Clive, he signaled her with three fingers. Tish moved along, followed by someone she couldn't see, and approached a gated area. Seeing she only carried a food tray, the guard let her in.

Rose hated to see Jack caged, like an animal, manacled to the wall in thick heavy chains. She wanted him to be free, not hurting, not _dying_, even if he does come back. This was too much, everyone she loved being hurt. Eighteen months and it was just her. That was okay, because it had been just her. But now… now it was them.

_We have to fix this,_ she murmured to the TARDIS. A wishful hum answered her.

"Morning, Tish," the captain joked. He was much better than the others at pretending his spirits were high. "Ah, smell that sea air. Makes me long for good old fish and chips. Yeah. What do I get? Cold mashed swede. Some hotel. Last time I book over the Internet."

Tish fed him a spoonful then held three fingers against the tray where he could see it. Jack winked.

After the girl had left, Jack sighed, hanging his head. These were the moments Rose waited for, the one person who spoke to her while they were awake. She knew the Doctor would, but being under constant watch, he simply couldn't.

"Little sister, you still in the room?"

This was something she'd been practicing with him. She moved closer, concentrating hard so that she could reach out and touch his mind. It was the faintest of brushes, but he felt it.

"Rosie," Jack breathed. "When you're solid again, I'm so going to kiss you. Don't care what Doc says."

The ripple of her awareness told him she was laughing and he smiled. "You have to protect Martha. Get her here, Rosie. And then… tell me how to get you back."

The woman sighed heavily, even though she was the only one who knew she did. How to get her back. She knew, but she couldn't risk it yet. Not until the Doctor could get into the network. It was a psychic network, and she was nothing if not a psychic entity for the time being. She had promised to help him make the connection when the time was right. And she believed that so long as the Master couldn't physically hurt her, it helped her husband focus on what he needed to do. She couldn't abandon his plan _and_ become a problem and distraction for him. She'd done that far too often when she'd started traveling with him. This time, she would stick with the plan.

With a mental kiss of comfort for her tortured brother, she went in search of Martha once more. She rode the airwaves to her friend, still with Tom, and listened to their conversation.

They spoke of the rockets. Thousands of warships, ready to lay waste to thousands of civilizations, most of whom had never even heard of humans. Taking over the universe, one destroyed world at a time. So intent was she on their words, she nearly missed the Toclafane approaching.

Cursing herself, she used her connection to the psychic waves to push Martha's perception filter. They were looking for her now. She had to boost it, until it was time to bring her back.

"Identify, little man," the childlike voice demanded of the doctor.

"I-I've got a license," he stumbled, his fear of the vicious creatures leaking through as he searched out the permit to show them. "Thomas Milligan, Peripatetic Medical Squad. I'm allowed to travel. I was just checking f—"

"Soon the rockets will fly and everyone will need medicine. You'll be so busy."

The Toclafane laughed and flew away, Tom looking amazed at Martha.

"But, they didn't see you."

She shook her head, taking out her TARDIS key. "How do you think I travelled the world? 'Cause the Master set up Archangel, that mobile network, 15 satellites around the planet, but really it's transmitting a low-level psychic field. That's how everyone got hypnotised into thinking he was Harold Saxon."

Tom snorted. "Saxon. Feels like years ago."

"But they key's tuned in to the same frequency. Makes me sort of…not invisible, just unnoticeable," she continued, finishing with a shrug.

"But I can see you," he said, staring at her, impressed.

"That's 'cause you wanted to."

Rose glanced upward, missing her Doctor more than ever. The conversation turned to more personal topics, and the slightly intangible woman was about to leave again, when she heard her name.

"What about you?" Tom asked.

"I keep looking for the kinda love my best friend, Rose, has. The kind where you'd do anything in the world for someone, and know they'd do the same… but this isn't exactly a world to raise a family in."

"Maybe it could be again," he said hopefully.

"That's the plan. Come on. I've got to find this Docherty woman."

Rose smiled, telling herself to hug Martha as soon as she could, and returned to the Valiant. Nearly three. She had to see what he'd planned this time.

As she arrived, the Master swept into the control room, Lucy following in his wake.

"Time for my massage. Who shall I have today? Tanya. Come on, sweetheart. Lucy, have you met Tanya? She's gorgeous," he said grandly, taking off his expensive jacket and throwing it carelessly onto the table. "Tanya, when we get to the stars, I'm gonna take you to Katria Nova. Whirlpools of gold."

Rose scowled, attuning herself with the Archangel field. She'd had plenty of practice over this past year. She found all the devices that were tuned in and nearly laughed. The Master sure had a lot of confidence in himself. With a silent apology to the Doctor for ruining whatever he was thinking of doing, she made each and every machine go haywire.

The Master jumped to his feet, rage coloring his features. "What the hell is going on?"

He rushed to the control deck, hitting buttons and swore he heard laughter.

"Who is laughing?!" he screamed, turning to see the Doctor only staring at him in shock.

_Can you hear me, love?_

The words echoed in the Doctor's head, and he jumped. _Rose?!_

_I finally integrated fully into the network, and to you. I can connect you to it now._

He felt the relief flood him. Both at the connection established and concrete proof that he hadn't imagined all those dreams. His wife was alive still!

The Doctor couldn't stop the grin on his face as he stared at the Master. "Problems?"

"What are you doing?" the other Time Lord demanded furiously.

"I'm not doing it," the Doctor laughed.

A circuit board exploded and the ghostly laughter was there again.

"The blonde," the Master suddenly spat, bounding to the Doctor's face and glaring at him. "That girl in the TARDIS. Your pretty little wife. I should have known she couldn't be killed that easily. Why can't I see her?"

Francine and Tish both looked at the Doctor, confused and afraid. This wasn't part of the plan! The Doctor found it hard to be upset though, as usual when Rose deviated from the plan. It rarely had bad results, and he missed her so much it was hard to not be proud as she wreaked havoc.

_Thank you, love. What were you planning?_

_I have to get the laser screwdriver from him._

_You can't, Doctor. Isomorphic controls. I tried to steal it once._

The Doctor winced as a flash of her memories came to his mind. _Oh my Rose… _

_No time for that. We need a new plan and fast. The screwdriver isn't an option._

The Doctor looked around, his mind working a thousand miles a minute. _Have to turn off the alarms or they'll catch Jack. And he needs to destroy the paradox machine._

Rose blew the alarm panel, smirking to herself. _I really miss being seen._

_I miss seeing you._ The Doctor rubbed a hand over his face. This was worse than when the Wire stole Rose's beautiful face in 1953. Now he missed everything about her; the feel of her hand in his, the sound of her voice, her laugh, the smell of her hair.

_Waxing poetic, love, _she teased. _Ideas?_

"How did you hide her, Doctor?" the Master asked, putting his face directly in the Doctor's vision. "How is she doing this? I scanned her, time and again. I did every test available on her! She isn't capable of this sort of display."

The Doctor shrugged. "You did it."

_Protect Jack until we can reverse the paradox, my Rose._

Rose left immediately to find the immortal man, trying to escape the guards. She released the steam controls and urged her almost brother to run toward the TARDIS. Once inside, she could seal it. The TARDIS couldn't affect the timelines or prevent the Master's massive attacks, but she could still lock. The long tortured captain panted heavily and slid down the wall.

Rose sent images to Jack, trying to make him understand. Food, rest, shower. He needed those things, and he should get to them now, because they were going to be headed for a lot of trouble soon.

She let her mind wander along the network, gathering information. The Master, furious at losing Jack and not being able to get to Rose, locked up the Jones family and was sending a transmission to the people on the planet's surface.

She asked the TARDIS to show the message on the monitor, and Jack pushed himself to his feet finally, moving closer to see what was happening.

The psychotic Time Lord was facing the camera, smiling widely. "My people. Salutations on this, the eve of war. But I know there's all sorts of whispers down there. Stories of a child, walking the Earth, giving you hope."

He walked to stand beside the Doctor, and Jack tensed, wishing Rose had a hand he could hold. At this moment he felt horribly alone.

"But I ask you…how much hope has this man got? Say hello, Gandalf. Except he's not that old but he's an alien with a much greater lifespan than you stunted, little apes. What if it showed? What if I suspend your capacity to regenerate? All 900 years of your life, Doctor. What if we could see them?"

He pointed the screwdriver at him, the high pitched whirring covering any sounds the Doctor may have made as he fell to the floor and writhed in agony.

"Older and older and older. Down you go, Doctor. Down, down, down you go. Doctor."

There was silence from where the form of the Doctor had just laid, and the Master bent down to examine the clothes lying on the floor, empty. Within a few moments, up by the neck, a large domed head peered out with huge, blinking eyes. With a maniacal grin, the Master walked back to the camera.

"Received and understood, Miss Jones?" he asked coldly as he ended the transmission.

Jack swore, looking around for something to hit. Rose sent calming waves to him, but she was nearly as livid.

"I'll rest just a bit, Rosie," Jack promised. "I'm not foolish enough to think I'm going to be able to take him on like this."

Once she'd made sure her near brother had washed, eaten and was sleeping, Rose moved back to the bridge, looking for the Doctor. She found him, crammed into a birdcage, looking like a creature from a fairytale.

_Doctor?_

He looked up, blinking his large eyes at her. _I'm so sorry you had to see me like this, my Rose._

_Don't you worry about that now,_ she insisted. _When Martha gets back, we'll do just what you said. If it could have fixed you the first time, it can now._

The Doctor smiled a bit at the confidence she still had in him. His answer was lost though, as the door opened and a guard marched in and grabbed the cage. Rose followed as the Doctor was carried into the conference room and left there. The Master entered not long after with Lucy hanging on his arm a bit vacantly.

"Tomorrow, they launch," he gloated to the captive Doctor. "We're opening up a rift in the Braccatolian space. They won't see us coming. Kinda scary."

"Then stop," the wizened Time Lord said.

Rose moved through the room, careful not to alert the Master this time.

"Once the empire is established and there's a new Gallifrey in the heavens, maybe then… it stops." He looked at the Doctor through the bars of the tiny cage. "The drumming. The never-ending drumbeat. Ever since I was a child. I looked into the vortex. That's when it chose me. The drumming, the call to war. Can't you hear it? Listen, it's there now. Right now. Tell me you can hear it, Doctor. Tell me."

The light in his eyes was pleading, and manic. The Doctor longed to say the right thing that would make his old friend give up his quest for power and dominance, but what he said was, "It's only you."

The Master hesitated, frowning slightly. "Good."

The door opened and one of the Toclafane entered, announcing in a sing song voice, "Tomorrow, the war. Tomorrow we rise. Never to fall."

"You see?" the Master cried, falsely jubilant. "I'm doing it for them! You should be grateful! After all, you love them. So very, very much."

Rose felt her hands clench into fists, though she knew it was only wishful thinking that made her feel that. She no more had hands than she had feet, hair, or any other physical features.

The Master sat down at the table, cheerful again at the prospect of torturing the Doctor some. His abused wife stood near him, eyes glazed and hands trembling slightly.

"I took Lucy to Utopia. A Time Lord and his human companion, just like you and your pretty little wife. I took her to see the stars. Isn't that right, sweetheart?" he asked her, his voice oozing charm.

She answered with obedient promptness, her tone as dead as her eyes. "Trillions of years into the future. To the end of the universe."

"Tell him what you saw," her husband urged.

"Dying. Everything dying. The whole of creation was falling apart. And I thought…there's no point. No point to anything. Not ever."

"And it's all your fault," the Master laughed.

_No it isn't, love,_ Rose encouraged her husband. _He makes his own choices. He could have spared her that, but he wanted her to suffer, to grieve, and to give up._

"You should have seen it, Doctor. Furnaces, burning. The last of humanity screaming at the dark. Your wife saw it, and she cried," the Master continued, his eyes glowing as the Doctor clenched his tiny wrinkled hands around the bars in fury. "Poor little Rose. I should bring you the results of her tests. You think what I did is so bad, wait until you see what traveling with you did to her. And they call me the bad guy."

He stood and waved at the sphere."But these pitiful things - all that human invention that had sustained them across the eons. It all turned inwards. They cannibalised themselves."

"We made ourselves so pretty," the sphere agreed.

"Regressing into children. But it didn't work. The universe was collapsing around them," he laughed. "My masterpiece, Doctor. A living TARDIS, strong enough to hold the paradox in place, allowing the past and the future to collide in infinite majesty."

The Doctor felt bile rise in his throat and missed Rose so much it hurt. He longed to hold her just then, and take comfort from her. The words of the other Time Lord echoed in his ears, and he knew that after they stopped the Master, he was going to have to find out what changes he was talking about.

"But you're changing history. Not just Earth, the entire universe."

"I'm a Time Lord. I have that right," the Master declared imperiously.

The Doctor shook his head. "But even then, why come all this way just to destroy?"

"We've come backwards in time to build a brand new empire lasting 100 trillion years," the sphere trilled happily.

"With me as their master. Time Lord and humans combined. Haven't you always dreamt of that, Doctor?" the Master grinned, walking to the Doctor. "Human race. Greatest monster of them all. Night-night."

He left, escorting Lucy with an arm around her waist, the sphere floating behind them. After a few moments, a guard came to return him to the control room.

_I don't blame you for anything that's happened to me, Doctor._

He sighed, covered his face with his hands. _What sort of things have happened to you, my Rose?_

_There are only a few minor things, really. I didn't know about them until he started all those damnable tests. The whole not aging thing, the life connection with the TARDIS, and…_

_What?_

There was a hesitation on her part. _I'm sterile. I can never give you a child. I'm so sorry, my Doctor._

He winced. Human women wanted to bear children, didn't they? He'd had children before, but Rose never had. She'd lost her family, and now he knew she wouldn't have one of her own. He wondered if there was anything he hadn't ruined for her.

_Stop that._

He blinked.

_I know you're blaming yourself. Stop. I have you, and that's all I really need. I'm just sorry I couldn't give you more._

He nearly laughed. _There's nothing in this whole universe I want more than you._

_Soon… we'll be together again soon._

She went back to check on Jack, leaving the Doctor to get some much needed rest. Before long, her connection to Archangel alerted her to an incoming message from Alison Docherty to the Master. It seemed Martha was right on schedule. She couldn't wait for this to be over.

She sent her awareness to find her dear friend, and found her in one of the slave houses, telling the story she'd told hundreds of times. The people in the house crowded around her, hushed and listening intently, hanging on very word.

"I traveled across the world. From the ruins of New York, to the fusion mills of China, right across the radiation pits of Europe. And everywhere I went, I saw people just like you, living as slaves. But if Martha Jones became a legend, then that's wrong because my name isn't important. There's someone else. The man who sent me out there. The man who told me to walk the Earth. His name is the Doctor. He has saved your lives so many times, and you never even knew he was there. He never stops. He never stays. He never asks to be thanked. But I've seen him. I know him. I believe in him. And I know what he can do."

The woman who greeted them at the door pushed her way forward. "It's him! It's him! Oh my God, it's him! It's the Master! He's here!"

Rose sent all the calming energy to Martha that she could, hoping she could help her somewhat.

Martha stood.

"But he never comes to Earth! He never walks upon the ground!" a little boy shouted.

"Hide her!"

"Use this!" Tom said, throwing what looked to be a blanket or tarp to the people near her.

"No," Martha tried to stop them. "This has to happen."

"He walks among us, our lord and master."

"Martha. Martha Jo-hones. I can see you!" the Master called from the street, "Out you come, little girl. Come and meet your master. Anybody? Nobody? No? Nothing? Positions! I'll give the order unless you surrender. Ask yourself—what would the Doctor do?"

Martha removed her TARDIS key and shook her head. Everyone looked in her direction. Outside, she knew the Master was waiting. The woman moved to the door and put her hand on Tom's gun. He slowly stood. With a little smile for everyone inside, she opened the door and stepped out.

"Oh, yes!" the Master cheered with a clap. "Oh, very well done! Good girl! He trained you well. Bag. Give me the bag. No, stay there. Just throw it."

Martha stopped and took off her pack, throwing it onto the ground. The Master fired his laser at it, destroying everything inside.

"And now, good companion, your work is done."

Rose panicked. She didn't know how to stop him from killing Martha, but she saw Tom race from the house, gun aimed at the Master.

"No!" he shouted.

The Master shrugged and shot the pediatrician instead and he fell to the ground. Martha glared fiercely, knowing she couldn't even really react as the Master chuckled.

"He had a point… when you die, the Doctor should be witness, hmm?" he grinned, inhaling deeply. "Almost dawn, Martha. And planet Earth marches to war."

They returned to the Valiant, and the Master projected what he believed to be his triumph for the world to see.

"Citizens of Earth, rejoice and observe."

Jack was finally awake, and he'd been studying the paradox machine. "Rosie, I think I can take this apart without taking you apart as well."

She sent him a wave of love, asking the TARDIS to show them the control room.

The door to the conference room opened on the monitor screen and two guards escorted in Martha. She walked forward alone, head held high. To one side they could see her family and at the base of the stairs to her right was the Doctor in his cage. She smiled softly at them, glancing around for Rose and Jack.

"Your teleport device. In case your thought I'd forgotten," the Master directed the woman.

Martha reached into a pocket in her pants and threw him the manipulator, which he caught smartly.

"And now…kneel. Down below, the fleet is ready to launch. Two hundred thousand ships set to burn across the universe. Are we ready?"

"The fleet awaits your signal. Rejoice!" came a voice over the radio.

"Three minutes to align the black hole converters. Counting down! I never could resist a ticking clock. My children, are you ready?"

The chirrupy voices of the Toclafane sang out, "We will fly and blaze and slice! We will fly and blaze and slice!"

Looking into the camera, the Maste announced, "At zero, to mark this day, the child, Martha Jones, will die. Ha, my first blood. Ha, any last words? No?"

Martha glared silently, not ready to give him the satisfaction.

"Such a disappointment, this one. Days of old, Doctor, you had companions who could absorb the time vortex," the Master sighed, grinning as the Doctor's eyes flashed at the hint of a slight against his beloved Rose. "This one's useless! Bow your head. And so it falls to me, the Master of all, to establish from this day, a new order of Time Lords! From this day forward— What? What's so funny?"

Martha had begun laughing from her position, and looked up with a smirk on her face. "A gun?"

Jack laughed at the scene from his place, untangling the wires attached to the paradox machine. Rose felt the build up from the Archangel network growing.

"What about it?" the Master snapped at Martha.

Rose moved into the control room, near the Doctor.

"A gun in four parts?" the medical student asked.

The Master rolled his eyes. "Yes, and I destroyed it."

She pressed him. "A gun in four parts scattered across the world? I mean, come on. Did you really believe that?"

For the first time since taking the TARDIS, the Master felt unsure. "What do you mean?"

"As if I would ask her to kill," the Doctor scoffed.

Faltering only slightly, their captor shrugged. "Oh, well, it doesn't matter. I've got her exactly where I want her."

Rose began to feed the energy from the Archangel network into the Doctor, establishing a bridge between her husband and the psychic energy.

"But I knew what Professor Docherty would do. The Resistance knew about her son," Martha explained to the Master, distracting him from feeling what was happening. I told her about the gun, so she'd get me here. At the right time."

He glared. "Oh, but you're still gonna die!"

She tipped her head. "Don't you wanna know what I was doing? Travelling the world?"

"Tell me." He sat as though it were story hour.

"I told a story, that's all. No weapons, just words. I did just what the Doctor said. I went across the continents all on my own. And everywhere I went, I found the people, and I told them my story. I told them about the Doctor. And I told them to pass it on, to spread the word so that everyone would know about the Doctor."

The Master rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Faith and hope? Is that all?"

She shook her head, "No, 'cause I gave them an instruction. Just as the Doctor said. Use the countdown." She stood, confident. "I told them that if everyone thinks of one word, at one specific time—"

"Nothing will happen!" the Master shouted, surging to his feet angrily. "Is that your weapon?! Prayer?!"

"Right across the world. One word, just one thought, at one moment… but with 15 satellites!"

He jerked as though she'd slapped him. "What?"

"The Archangel Network," the Doctor grinned, fully integrated now.

Rose returned to Jack, ready for him to free her.

"A telepathic field binding the whole human race together, with all of them, every single person on Earth, thinking the same thing at the same time. And that word…is Doctor."

The countdown reached zero and a glowing field surrounded the Doctor.

The Master pointed at him, fear making him pale. "Stop it. No, no, no, no, you don't!"

Francine closed her eyes. "Doctor."

"Do—"

The large plasma screens on the walls showed crowds of people across the world gathered in public places all saying "Doctor".

"Stop this right now! Stop it!"

"Doctor," Lucy said, closing her eyes.

Jack, in the TARDIS, paused for a moment and chanted, "Doctor."

_Doctor…_ Rose added.

Martha breathed, "Doctor."

Still with an energy field about him, the Doctor broke from the cage and was now back to being an old man.

"I've had a whole year and a brilliant woman to help me tune myself into the psychic network and integrate with its matrices," the Doctor said with a smirk.

"I order you to stop!" the Master tried.

The screens still showed the desperate, oppressed people of Earth, gathering together and chanting, "Doctor." The man in their thoughts returned to his normal self, bursting with psychic energy.

"The one thing you can't do. Stop them thinking," he said, proud of the race he loved so.

The Master stared, shocked, as the Doctor levitated, using the energy field around him.

"Tell me the human race is degenerate now when they can do this," he said to the Master.

Martha ran to her family and hugged her mother and sister, her father throwing his arms around all of them.

"No!" the Master shouted, firing the laser at the Doctor, but deflected by the field.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," the Doctor said softly, pity in his gaze for the only other Time Lord beside him.

Unable to accept his defeat, or the Doctor's pity, the Master pointed his laser screwdriver at the Jones family. "Then I'll kill them!"

The Doctor calmly gestured and threw it across the room telekinetically.

Unarmed, the Master panicked. "You can't do this! You can't do—It's not fair!"

"And you know what happens now."

"No! No! No! No!"

The Doctor moved gracefully through the air to land next to the Master, who was huddled in the floor. Jack grabbed a large cable with a manic grin on his face.

"You wouldn't listen," the Doctor said to the Master.

"No!"

"Because you know what I'm going to say."

"No!" the Master cried, curling into fetal position.

The Doctor landed and walked over to the whimpering Master and wrapped his arms about him. "I forgive you."

"My children!" he cried, a last ditch effort to win.

They could hear the eerie voices chanting over the radio, "Protect the paradox! Protect the paradox! Protect the paradox!"

"Captain! Now would be nice!" the Doctor called, knowing Jack would hear him.

"I'm already on it," the man grinned, yanking the cable heavily, and causing a shower of sparks to cascade from the console of the TARDIS.

Everything lurched as the TARDIS began to undo everything.

"Everyone down! Time is reversing!" the Doctor shouted, falling to the floor, face-to-face with MARTHA and laughing.

Below them, the planet rebuilt itself from what the Master's empire had reduced it to, and people who had been gone returned to lives they never knew had been interrupted.

The Doctor stood to his feet and checked the controls. "The paradox is broken. We've reverted back, one year and one day. Two minutes past 8:00 in the morning."

"This is UNIT Central," a voice on the radio spoke. "What's happened up there? We just saw the President assassinated!"

"You see? Just after the President was killed, but just before the spheres arrived. Everything back to normal. Planet Earth restored. None of it happened. The rockets, the terror. It never was."

"What about the spheres?" Martha asked.

He shook his head sadly. "Trapped at the end of the universe."

Francine's voice shook as she said slowly, "But I remember it."

"We're at the eye of the storm. The only ones who'll ever know," the Doctor explained, turning to see Clive there. "Oh, hello! You must be Mr. Jones! We haven't actually met."

The Master took advantage of their preoccupation and ran for the door, only to be stopped by Jack as he entered.

"Whoa, big fella! You don't want to miss the party. Cuffs," he said to the confused guard, who handed them over to the Captain, who promptly secured the Master's wrists behind him. "Doc, I brought you a present, something you've been missing."

Rose came running from behind him and launched herself into the Doctor's open arms. He crushed her to him and swung her around in a circle. Rose buried her face in his neck, fighting back her tears.

"No more sharing thoughts?" he asked softly.

"Sorry, my Doctor," she murmured. "I can't do it now."

He kissed her forehead. "It's okay, my Rose. I'd rather have you at my side than in my head."

Jack coughed, drawing attention to himself and the man in his custody. "So, what do we do with this one?"

"We kill him," Clive said harshly.

Tish nodded. "We execute him."

Rose frowned, turning to them. "No, that's not the solution. He's the monster, not us. We kill him, we're just becoming like him."

Francine aimed a gun she'd found at the Master. "Oh, I think so. 'Cause all those…things, they still happened because of him. I saw them."

"Go on! Do it!" the mad man jeered.

Her hand trembled.

"Francine, you're better than him," the Doctor said softly, reaching out and taking her hand.

After a moment, the woman dropped the gun with a soft sob, and he took her into his arms in a hug. Martha stepped up and he transferred the now crying woman to her daughter.

With a roll of his eyes, the Master asked, "You still haven't answered the question. What happens to me?"

The Doctor glanced at Rose, who nodded. She knew what he had to do. The Master couldn't be trusted alone, and no one else was going to be around long enough to really watch him competently. Not to mention, he was a member of the Doctor's race, the last remaining link to Gallifrey. It was a difficult thing, but she knew her husband needed to try to help him. And Rose had to help the Doctor in all things, not just the fun ones.

"You're our responsibility from now on. The only other Time Lord left in existence."

Jack gave a start, glaring at the man he saw as a brother. "But you can't trust him. After everything he did to our Rosie, you're going to let him stay around her?"

"The only safe place for him is the TARDIS," Rose said, placing a soothing hand on Jack's arm. "We'll be able to watch him there – and maybe help him."

The Master looked horrified. "You mean you're just gonna…keep me?"

"If that's what we have to do," the Doctor said firmly, looking between Jack and Rose. "Perhaps it's time to change. Maybe I've been wandering for too long. Now I'll have a family and someone to care for."

A gunshot rang out, stunning them all, and the Master staggered backward. Lucy, wide eyed and a bit frozen, was holding the gun. As Rose and the Doctor rushed to the bleeding man's side, Jack moved to take the gun from the mentally destroyed Lucy and have her taken gently into custody.

"There you go. I've got you. I've got you," the Doctor said quietly, lowering the Master to the floor.

"Always the women," he gasped. "Honestly, I thought it would be your wife that killed me, not mine."

"I didn't see her," the Doctor apologized.

"Dying in your arms. Happy now?"

Rose shook her head. "You ain't dying, don't be daft. It's only a bullet. Just regenerate."

"No."

The Doctor looked a bit panicked at that."But…one little bullet. Come on."

Even as his life slipped away, his smirk was infuriating. "I guess you don't know me so well. I refuse."

"Regenerate. Just regenerate. Please! Please! Just regenerate! Come on!" the Doctor cried out, breaking at the thought of losing his race all over again.

"And spend the rest of my life imprisoned with you two?"

The Doctor shook him slightly, "You've got to. Come on. It can't end like this. You and me, all the things we've done. Axons? Remember the Axons? And the Daleks? We're the only two left, there's no one else. Regenerate! Rose!"

"I can't force him to live, my love…" she said, her heart breaking over the anguish on his face.

"How about that? I win," the Master breathed, suddenly looking tired." Will it stop, Doctor? The drumming. Will it stop?"

He died, his last breath easing out, and his eyes drifting peacefully shut. The Doctor hugged the lifeless body for a moment, then allowed him to sink to the floor as Rose gathered her husband into her arms and held him as he sobbed. The others just looked on, at a loss for how he could grieve so for a man who tortured them all quite happily. But Rose knew. It wasn't for that man that he cried. It was the man who'd been his friend, and an entire race of people that were now merely memories in his mind alone.

Later, after the Master's body had been taken care of, and they were back in Cardiff, the Doctor and Rose, Martha and Jack were standing at the rails by the Pierhead Building looking out over the bay.

"Time was," Martha mused, "every single one of these people knew your name. Now they've all forgotten you."

"Good," the Doctor said. "I don't want to be known. I have a few good friends, and that's all anyone needs."

"Back to work?" Jack asked curiously.

He nodded. "I really don't mind, though." The Doctor smiled crookedly at him. "Come with us."

"I had plenty of time to think that past year, the Year That Never Was. And I kept thinking about that team of mine. Like you said, Doctor, responsibility," Jack said quietly. "They aren't ready for me to go just yet. Not completely."

Rose smiled and kissed his cheek. "Growing up a bit, Jack?"

"Thought I'd try it out, little sister," the captain laughed. "Besides, we're family, and kind of stuck with each other for a long time to come. There'll be more days ahead for me to tag along."

"And we could always kidnap you for a few short trips, and dinners," the blonde woman teased.

"Defending the Earth," the Doctor shrugged. "Can't argue with that."

He made to shake Jack's hand but exposed the manipulator while giving him a chiding look and pointing his sonic screwdriver at it.

"Hey, I need that!" Jack cried.

"We can't have you walking around with a time-travelling teleport. You could go anywhere—twice. The second time to apologise."

Rose and Martha laughed as the ex time agent pouted like a child.

"And what about me? Can you fix that? Will I ever be able to die?"

"Nothing I can do."

Rose looked guilty at that. "I'm sorry, Jack. I couldn't even begin to think of how to try."

"I'll get over it, darlin'. Don't you worry about it. Just gives me more time to live."

The Doctor clapped a hand on his shoulder. "You're an impossible thing, Jack."

"Been called that before," Jack laughed as he started to leave. After a few steps, he turned back and saluted. "Sir. Ma'am. Sis. I just keep wondering…what about aging? 'Cause I can't die but I slowly keep getting older. The odd little grey hair, you know? What happens if I live for a million years?"

Rose and the Doctor exchanged looks.

"I… really don't know," the Doctor admitted.

The captain chuckled slowly and shook his head. "Okay, vanity. Sorry. Yeah, can't help it. Used to be a poster boy when I was a kid back on the Boeshane Pennisula. Tiny little place. I was the first one ever to be signed up for the Time Agency. They were so proud of me. They Face of Boe they called me."

The three people were stunned, gaping at him.

"Hmm, I'll see you."

Jack winked and ran across the Plas towards the water tower.

"Can't be," Martha gasped finally.

"No, definitely not. No," the Doctor agreed.

Rose laughed, leaning against Martha who joined her. They both laughed harder at the awestruck look on the Doctor's face.

He shook his head, insisting in a slightly higher pitch. "No."

The girls only laughed harder.

Soon they headed back to the Jones' home. As Martha and the others stayed inside talking, the Doctor and Rose were in the TARDIS. Jack had helped them return the ship to normal, and they were happy to be home, together.

"So, what d'ya wanna do next?" Rose asked, hugging her husband tightly.

"Something relaxing," he laughed. "You've been away from me so long…"

She frowned up at him. "Don't you go blaming yourself for that. I never once held it against you or lost my faith you'd come through in the end."

"I really don't deserve you, my Rose Tyler," he said in a bit of awe over her. "When there's nothing else in all the galaxies I can depend on or believe in, I always have you."

"And you always will," she promised, kissing him. "Otherwise, the TARDIS and I are going to get really bored sitting all by our lonesome somewhere."

He kissed her deeply, only pulling away when the door opened and Martha walked in. He bounced to the controls and grinned.

"Right then! Off we go! The open road! There is a burst of starfire right now over the coast of Meta Sigmafolio. Oh, the sky is like oil on water. Fancy a look? Or…back in time. We could…I don't know, Charles II? Henry VIII? I know! What about Agatha Christie? I'd love to meet Agatha Christie! I bet she's brilliant!"

Rose saw the look in their friend's eyes before he did. "Umm, love, better look again."

He did, and realised Martha wasn't smiling and immediately sobered. "Oh. Okay."

"I just can't," the medical student apologized.

The Doctor nodded. He'd been through this before with other companions. Eventually, they all left, one way or another. Except Rose. "Yeah."

Rose moved to hug her. "It's all right, Martha. We understand."

"Spent all these years training to be a doctor," she said, not sure why the tears sprang to her eyes. "Now I've got people to look after. They saw half the planet slaughtered and they're devastated. I can't leave them."

"Of course not," the Doctor said with a smile. "That's your family." He stepped closer and hugged her also. "Martha Jones, you saved the world."

She beamed at that. "Yes, I did. I've spent a lot of time in my life thinking I was second best. But you know what? I am good. You gonna be all right?"

The Doctor looked at Rose and took her hand, staring at their entwined fingers for a moment. "Always. Yeah."

Martha glanced at the door, then back at the blonde. "How'd you do it, Rose? You told me that you left your family, knowing you would never see them again. How?"

Rose didn't even hesitate with her answer. "He needed me. And I needed him just as much. I'm always gonna love my family, but when you find where you truly belong, you just _can't_ let it go without a fight, can you?"

The black woman smiled and nodded. "Guess I'll keep looking then. Because I know I'm going to have to find my place somewhere, just like you did."

"You'll find it, Martha," the Doctor assured her. "You're too brilliant not to."

She reached into her pocket and tossed her mobile to them. "Keep that. 'Cause I'm not having you disappear. If that rings, when that rings, you better come running. Got it?"

"Got it," the Doctor nodded, blithely handing it to Rose who tucked it into her pocket, her own phone having been destroyed by the Master.

"I'll see you again," Martha smiled before leaving.

For a moment, the two left inside stood silently, then finally moved back to the console.

"I think it's time you learned how to fly," the Doctor said after a moment.

"Really?" Rose beamed at him. "That would be brilliant!"

He smiled at her enthusiasm and congratulated himself on distracting her from the pain that would come soon enough at the departure of both Jack and Martha.

"Hit that button, then come here and I'll show you how to set a destination."

They started the TARDIS and took her into orbit, where the couple moved around the console, Rose asking questions and the Doctor answering with much laughter.

"That does not only make noise," she giggled. "The TARDIS wouldn't have a button that was only there to make noise!"

"Alright, Miss Smarty-smart Pants. What does it do then?" he teased her, chuckling.

Their laughter was interrupted when a ship's horn could suddenly be heard and something crashed into the TARDIS throwing them to the floor. As soon as he could clamor to his feet, the Doctor rushed to Rose's side as she also stood shakily. They both looked up to see the bow of an ocean liner broken through the wall.

"What?" the Doctor cried.

"Did we have her shields off?" his wife asked, horrified at the damage to their beloved girl.

He coughed. "What?!"

Rose lifted up a life preserver she noticed in the wreckage and they saw that it read "TITANIC".

Together, the couple half shouted, "What?!"

_A/N: I'd like to explain why it's taken me so long to get this out… but I have no reason good enough to appease you. I hated the beginning of this episode, I must have rewritten it sixteen times, at least. I'm still not happy with it, but I can't ask you to wait any longer for it. My personal life is trying to get in the way of writing, but I'm trying to get past things. I hope you can forgive me and continue reading – and reviewing! – and I will continue rewriting a series that we all love with a character we miss._


	16. 0314 The Voyage of the Damned

Season Three: Voyage of the Damned

"_That does not only make noise," she giggled. "The TARDIS wouldn't have a button that was only there to make noise!"_

"_Alright, Miss Smarty-smart Pants. What does it do then?" he teased her, chuckling._

_Their laughter was interrupted when a ship's horn could suddenly be heard and something crashed into the TARDIS throwing them to the floor. As soon as he could clamor to his feet, the Doctor rushed to Rose's side as she also stood shakily. They both looked up to see the bow of an ocean liner broken through the wall._

"_What?" the Doctor cried._

"_Did we have her shields off?" his wife asked, horrified at the damage to their beloved girl._

_He coughed. "What?!"_

_Rose lifted up a life preserver she noticed in the wreckage and they saw that it read "TITANIC"._

_Together, the couple half shouted, "What?!"_

The Doctor rushed to the controls, and began working feverishly. The TARDIS pulled away from the ship and repaired herself, then he materialized them within the ship.

Once they were stable, the pair stepped out and looked around, seemingly in a supply closet.

"You do love getting me in cupboards, don't you, love?" Rose teased.

He winked and kissed her before closing the TARDIS and stepping out to examine their surroundings. The room was wood-paneled and decorated with potted palms and Christmas decorations. People clothed in early 20th century dress milled about as waiters passed hors d'oeuvres and champagne. The band was playing a sedate version of "Jingle Bells".

The Doctor approached two golden angels garbed in white and they move mechanically, revealing that they were robots. Hand holding tight to Rose's, he wandered to the window and looked out into space just outside of Earth's orbit.

"Right," he said, drawing the word out over several seconds.

"I think we'd better change," Rose nodded, trying not to laugh.

A voice over the PA caught their attention. "Attention all passengers. The Titanic is now in orbit above Sol 3, also known as Earth. Population: Human. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Christmas."

Not long after, the Doctor, in a dinner jacket, watched a video screen as he fiddled with his tie. Familiar hands batted his away as Rose, in a lovely cream colored off the shoulder knee length gown returned to his side and adjusted the tie for him.

"There's always something about a bow tie that you have issues with. I'm forever fixing them for you."

He grinned. "Maybe I'll start wearing bow ties just to make you fix them for me."

Rose laughed and kissed his cheek. "Why not? Bowties are pretty cool."

The band began playing "Winter Wonderland" and he offered her his arm, walking them towards reception.

"Merry Christmas, sir and madam," the steward greeted them.

"Merry Christmas," the Doctor said in return, nudging Rose who simply smiled at him.

Once inside the same room they had seen earlier, the two separated to mingle a bit. The Doctor passed another man talking into a "mobile".

"It's not a holiday for me, not while I've still got my vone. Now do as I say and sell."

Shaking his head at the man, walking away, the Doctor approached one of the angels.

"Evening. Passenger 57. Terrible memory. Remind me. Uh, you would be..."

"Information: Heavenly Host supplying tourist information."

He glanced around and saw Rose speaking to a small red man, laughing, and he smiled before focusing on the robotic steward.

"Good, so, um... tell me - 'cause I'm an idiot - where are we from?"

The mechanically soothing voice replied, "Information: the Titanic is en route from the planet Sto in the Cassavalian Belt. The purpose of the cruise is to experience primitive cultures."

Smothering a laugh, he shook his head. "Titanic. Um...who... thought of the name?"

"Information: it was chosen as the most famous vessel of the planet Earth."

Oh, Rose was going to love hearing this. "Did they tell you why it was famous?"

"Information: all designations are chosen by Mr. Max Capricorn, president of Max - Max - Max..."

The Doctor blinked as the angel glitched out. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and scanned it, the familiar noise drawing Rose's attention even across the room. She headed toward him even as the chief steward hurried over to him.

Sir, we can handle this," the steward said quickly, waving to others for assistance. Two other stewards arrived and switched off the host, taking it away. "Software problem, that's all. Leave it with us, sir. Merry Christmas."

Rose joined him, taking his hand. "Weird, that," she commented.

"Almost as weird as any date I take you on," he grinned cheekily.

"Oh, is this a date?" she laughed. "Where's the chips?"

Nearby, a waitress dropped her tray of drinks after bumping into the rude man on his vone.

"For Tov's sake, look where you're going!" he snapped. "This jacket's a genuine Earth antique."

"I'm sorry, sir," she said, bending down to pick up the broken glass.

"You'll be sorry when it comes off your wages, sweetheart. Staffed by idiots. No wonder Max Capricorn is going down the drain," he raged, storming off.

The Doctor and Rose exchanged looks before moving to help the poor girl.

"Careful. There we go," the Doctor said gently, gathering most of the glass.

She shook her head. "Thank you, sir. I can manage."

Rose knelt and took the tray, setting it on a nearby table. "We never said you couldn't, love. I'm Rose, and this is the Doctor, by the way."

"Astrid, ma'am. Astrid Peth."

"Nice to meet you, Astrid Peth. Merry Christmas," the Doctor smiled, depositing the glass on the tray.

"Oh! That's right!" His wife laughed a bit. "Happy Christmas, Astrid."

Astrid blinked rapidly in surprise. "Merry Christmas, sir, ma'am."

"Not sir and ma'am," Rose shook her head. "We're just Doctor and Rose."

Smiling at someone being friendly to her, Astrid asked, "You two enjoying the cruise?"

"We haven't quite decided yet," the Doctor said smoothly, winking at Rose.

She picked up the line easily. "I think it'll be better when we find some nice people to talk to."

The waitress nodded, standing. "Is this a honeymoon trip for you?"

The Doctor shook his head, then stared at Rose. "I never did take you on a honeymoon trip, did I?"

Rose laughed. "Honeymoon trip? What's special about that for us? Now, a honeymoon 'staying in one place' thing would be an odd change."

"Minx," he chided her before turning back to their new friend. "What about you? Long way from home, Planet Sto."

"Doesn't feel that different," she admitted. "I spent three years working at the spaceport diner, traveled all the way here...and I'm still waiting on tables."

Astrid walked away with a sigh.

Without a moment's hesitation, the Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and followed after the waitress. "No shore leave?"

She smirked a bit and cleared a table by the window. "We're not allowed. They can't afford the insurance. I just wanted to try it, just once. I used to watch the ships heading off to the stars and I always dreamt of...It sounds daft."

Rose scowled. "Of course it don't sound daft. I know just what you mean. You dreamt of another sky. New sun, new air, new life. A whole universe teeming with life. Why stand still when there's all that life out there? I know I didn't."

The Doctor beamed at his wife, nudging her. Her continued adoration of the life they shared made him fall in love her again and again.

Astrid blinked at her own feelings spilling out of someone else's mouth, "So...you two travel a lot?"

"All the time. Just for fun," the Doctor quipped with amusement. "Well, that's the plan. Never quite works."

"Must be rich, though," the girl smiled.

"Haven't got a penny," he disagreed with a wink. He whispered to her, "Stowaways."

"Kidding," Astrid gasped.

"Seriously," Rose laughed. "Not a penny between us."

"No!"

"Oh, yeah," the Doctor replied comfortably.

"How did you get on board?" she asked them, her eyes alight.

"Accident," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "We've got this, sort of, ship thing. I was just rebuilding her. Left the defences down, bumped into the Titanic. Here we are. Saw a bit of a party, and thought 'Why not?'"

"I should report you," she giggled.

"Go on then," Rose grinned.

"I'll get you some drinks..." the waitress whispered, shaking her head, "on the house."

As she walked away, the couple noticed a group of high class passengers making fun of a rather heavyset pair in bright purple country-western outfits.

"Just ignore 'em," they heard the man say softly to his wife.

The two sat at their table, the Doctor looking back over his shoulder. "Something's tickled them."

The woman sighed. "They told us it was fancy dress. Very funny, I'm sure."

The man patted her hand. "They're just pickin' on us because we haven't paid. We won our tickets in a competition."

"I had to name the five husbands of Joofie Crystalle in 'By the Light of the Asteroid'. Did you ever watch..." the woman fluttered.

"Is that the one with the twins?" the Doctor asked, a smile on his face.

Rose laughed. "You would think you'd have better things to do than watch those things. You're as bad as mum sometimes."

"And you love me anyway," he shrugged easily.

"That's the one. Oh, it's marvelous," the woman beamed.

Her husband snorted, motioning to the laughing crowd. "Probably not good enough for that lot. They think we should be in steerage."

Rose reached across the Doctor and pulled his sonic screwdriver out, grinning at him. "Can't have that, can we?"

He chuckled softly and dropped a kiss on her nose before leaning back into his seat. He held the sonic screwdriver at his side and aimed behind him. The champagne on their table popped its cork, spraying all over the snotty condescending people. Rose covered her mouth before a giggle could escape.

The woman in purple leaned forward, delight and amazement in her eyes. "Did - Did you do that?"

The Doctor winked conspiratorially as he slipped the sonic screwdriver back into his pocket. "Maybe."

"We like you," she nodded.

"We do," her husband agreed with a grin. He reached a hand out to the Doctor. "I'm Morvin van Hoff. This is my good woman, Foon."

The Doctor shook his hand, and then Foon's. "Morvin. Foon. Hello, I'm the Doctor, and this is my wife, Rose."

Rose grinned and held her hand out to shake theirs also. "I still like hearing that. It's so nice to meet you both."

Foon laughed. "Ooh, I'm gonna need a Doctor by the time I'm finished with this buffet. Have a buffalo wing. They must be enormous, these buffalo, so many wings."

The Doctor picked up a wing, about to correct her, when an announcement interrupted him.

"Attention please. Shore leave tickets Red 6-7 now activated. Red 6-7."

"Red 6-7. That's us," Foon said with excitement as she read her ticket. "Are you Red 6-7?"

The van Hoff's stood and the Doctor and Rose exchanged looks.

"Might as well be," Rose shrugged.

"Come on," Morvin grinned broadly, slinging an arm around his wife. "We're going to Earth."

They walked toward an older man in a tweed suit who held a large red sign that bore the numbers 6-7.

"Red 6-7," he called out. "Red 6-7. This way, fast as you can."

Rose glanced over, seeing Astrid approach. "Doctor, let's take Astrid to see."

He looked at her in surprise. "What?"

She smiled at him. "I remember what it was like, always wanting to do something amazing and being stuck in the same old place. You gave me my whole life when you took me on my first trip. You gave Jack a second chance to be who he really wanted to be. You gave Mickey a chance to be a hero. You gave Martha a whole new way to see life. You should give Astrid an adventure."

He hugged her to him. "Rose, **we** did those things. You're just as responsible as I am. And if you want to do it again, then I won't stop you."

"I got you those drinks," the waitress said as she neared.

"And we got you a treat. Come on," he said, using his free hand to pull her to the departure area with them. Rose set her tray on a table as they passed.

"Red 6-7 departing shortly," the man called again.

"Two Red 6-7's plus one," the Doctor said confidently, holding up the psychic paper.

"Uh, quickly, sir, and please take these teleport bracelets if you would," the man said, handing them their devices.

Astrid leaned toward Rose. "I'll get the sack."

"Brand new sky," the Doctor taunted, holding her bracelet out.

"We'll take care of you," Rose promised.

The tour guide began to speak. "To repeat, I am Mr. Copper, the ship's historian, and I shall be taking you to old London town in the country of U.K. ruled over by good King Wenceslas. Now human beings worshipped the great god Santa, a creature with fearsome claws, and his wife Mary. And every Christmas Eve the people of U.K. go to war with the country of Turkey. They then eat the Turkey people for Christmas dinner... like savages."

Rose had tears in her eyes from trying to hold in her laughter while the Doctor merely tipped his head at the man in confusion.

"Excuse me, sorry, sorry, but, um...where did you get all this from?" the Time Lord asked.

The guide puffed up with self importance. "Well, I have a first class degree in Earthonomics. Now stand by..."

A higher pitched voice called out, "And me! And me! Red 6-7!"

They all looked over and saw that the owner of the voice was a small red-skinned alien with short spikes along his head. Rose smiled, as she'd been talking to him earlier, but the Doctor frowned in relative alarm.

"Well, take a bracelet, sir?" Mr. Copper said politely.

The Doctor shook his head as though to clear it. "Uh, but, um, hold on, hold on. What was your name?"

"Bannakaffalatta."

"OK, Bannakaffalatta. But it's Christmas Eve down there. Late-night shopping, tons of people. He's like a walking conker. No offence, but you'll cause a riot 'cause the streets are going to be packed with shoppers and parties..."

The Doctor was still trying to explain why the small red man shouldn't go as the entire group was teleported to the surface. Rose looked around in confusion as the street was utterly empty.

"Oh."

"Now, spending money," Mr. Copper said briskly, looking around at his charges. "I have a credit card in Earth currency if you want to by trinkets or, uh, stockings or the local delicacy, which is known as 'beef' but don't stray too far, it could be dangerous. Any day now they start boxing."

"But… it should be full. It should be busy. Something's wrong," the Doctor said in total confusion.

"But it's beautiful," Astrid said in awe.

Rose beamed at her. "Really? Do you think so? It's just a street. The pyramids are beautiful, and New Zealand... oh, the Doctor and I could show you such lovely things here."

The waitress shook her head, grabbing both of Rose's hands in her excitement. "But it's a different planet. I'm standing on a different planet. Th-there's concrete...and shops, alien shops, real alien shops! Look, no stars in the sky. And it smells. It stinks! This is amazing! Thank you!"

She hugged Rose, then the Doctor, beaming exuberantly.

"Yeah?" he asked with a grin of his own. "Come on then, ladies, let's have a look."

He took Rose's hand and gestured to a newsstand where an older man stood, bundled in winter clothes.

"Hello there! Sorry, uh, obvious question, but where's everybody gone?" the Doctor asked curiously.

"Oh-ho, scared!" the man answered, nodding his head matter of factly.

"Yeah? Scared of what?" Rose asked, skimming the front pages of the magazines.

The man laughed. "Where have you been living? London at Christmas? Not safe, is it?"

"Why ain't it?" she asked in alarm.

"Well, it's them, up above," the man replied, pointing skyward. "Look, Christmas before last we had that big bloody spaceship, everyone standing on a roof."

The Doctor slipped an arm around his wife at the reminder of the last Christmas she'd had with her family.

"And then last year, that Christmas Star electrocuting all over the place, draining the Thames," the man shook his head.

"This place is amazing," Astrid said with a grin.

"And this year, Lord knows what. So everybody's scarpered, gone to the country. All except me...and Her Majesty," the newsman said, raising his chin a bit proudly. "God bless her! We stand vigil."

He gave an image of the Queen a salute and Rose smiled.

The Doctor leaned toward him conspiratorially. "Well, between you and me, I think her Majesty's got it right. Far as I know, this year, nothing to worry about."

Suddenly the entire group was teleported back to the ship. The Doctor was annoyed that they had no warning. Any of the tourists could have left people behind to be frightened or confused…

"I was in mid-sentence."

"Yes, I'm sorry about that," Mr. Copper bumbled. "A bit of a problem. If I could have your bracelets…"

The Chief Steward joined the group, his expression authoritative. "Apologies, ladies and gentlemen, Bannakaffalatta, we seem to have suffered a slight power fluctuation. If you'd like to return to the festivities. And on behalf of Max Capricorn Cruiseliners, free drinks will be provided."

The other passengers wandered off, but the Doctor and Rose exchanged a look that said they knew something strange was going on. Their hands sought the other with a calm acceptance that they could not escape helping when it was needed.

"That was the best, the best!" Astrid swore before hurrying off to work.

"What sort of power fluctuation d'ya suppose it was?" Rose asked her Time Lord.

He shook his head, looking around and taking in the guests as they ate, danced, and talked. It was comfortable and decadent… it was too calm. He looked over to the wall, noticing a vid screen and pulled her over to it. The owner/founder of the cruise liner was smiling at the camera.

"...and I should know because my name is Max."

He pulled out his glasses and sonic screwdriver and went to work on the frame while she glanced around to be sure they weren't about to be in trouble.

"The fastest, the furthest, the best...my name is Max."

The Doctor opened the frame and changed some settings until the screen showed the Titanic and her immediate surroundings. He saw the shields were offline and peered out the window, seeing the meteors approaching.

"Doctor… that's trouble, isn't it?" Rose asked softly, following his line of sight.

He nodded and looped an arm around her waist before turning and calling up to the bridge. "Is that the bridge? I need to talk to the captain. You've got a meteoroid storm coming in West 0 by North 2."

"Who is this?" the voice of the captain responded, sounding both surprised and angry.

"Never mind that. Your shields are down. Check your scanners, Captain. You've got meteoroids coming in and no shielding!" the Doctor said, feeling a flutter of panic.

"You have no authorization. You will clear the comms at once."

Rose felt her husband's fear, and tried to soothe him, even though she was feeling pretty nervous as well.

"Yeah? Just look starboard!" he snapped, noticing the stewards who'd been sent to remove him from the reception area.

"If you'll just come with us," one of them said as they began to lead the pair out.

"But he's tellin' the truth!" Rose cried, now alarmed. "You've got a rock storm heading for this ship and the shields are down!"

"Everyone, listen to me! This is an emergency! Get to the lifeb-" the Doctor shouted before a Host clamped a metal hand over his mouth.

The people they'd befriended all seemed shocked as they watched the scene.

"Look out the windows!" Rose shouted before she, too, was silenced.

The people began to migrate toward the windows, even the rude man in the business deals looking concerned. Bannakaffalatta approached the stewards.

"These, friends," he insisted.

"If you don't believe me, check the shields yourself!" the Doctor begged the men.

"Sir, I can vouch for them!" Astrid called, wanting to save her new friends.

Morvin held out his hands. "Look, they're celebrating, drinking a bit much is all…"

"Sir, something seems to have gone wrong. All the teleports are down," Mr. Copper said, approaching just then, oblivious of the trouble.

"Not now!" the Steward snapped.

A small piece of rock broke through a window and landed at the business man's feet.

"Oxygen membrane holding. Oxygen membrane holding."

The business man paled and turned to a nearby Host. "You there. Has anyone checked the external shielding?"

The angelic looking robot bowed slightly and spoke, "Information: you are all going to die."

As the stewards drug the Doctor and Rose through an interior corridor, the Von Hoffs, Astrid, Bannakaffalatta and the rude man following behind them.

"The shields are down, we are going to get hit," the Doctor continued to exclaim, everyone talking at once.

The whole ship lurched as he was proven correct and the asteroids struck the hull. The Doctor wrenched free and cradled Rose to him as they were all thrown to the floor. Once the shaking and shuddering stopped, he stood and helped her to her feet, shushing everyone and listening.

"It's stopping," he said quietly, reaching into his pockets as though looking for something.

"You all right?" Rose asked Astrid, helping her up.

"I think so," the other woman replied shakily.

The Doctor shook his head and reached into his pocket, pulling out one of Rose's trainers, holding it out to her. "Bad name for a ship. Either that or this suit is really unlucky."

"It's the ship," she said, calmly changing her shoes while the others looked at them as though they were mad. "I like that suit and you aren't getting out of wearing it that easily."

He kissed her cheek before moving to kneel and examine one of the stewards. The man was dead.

"Ev-everyone... Ladies and gentlemen, Bannakaffalatta, I must apologize on behalf of Max Capricorn Cruiseliners. We seem to have had a small collision," the remaining steward stammered.

"Small?," snapped the business man. "You know how much I paid for my ticket?"

"If I could have silence, ladies, gentlemen..." the steward said, trying to remain polite.

The people in the corridor ignored him and began arguing loudly.

Frustrated, he shouted, stopping them all, "Quiet! Thank you. I-I'm sure Max Capricorn Cruiseliners will be able to reimburse you for any inconvenience. But first I would point out that we are very much alive."

Astrid spoke in a soft voice, leaning over the historian and dabbing at a cut on Mr. Copper's head. "Are you all right?"

Rose and the Doctor moved to check on the others.

"She is, after all, a fine, sturdy ship. If you could all stay here while I ascertain the exact nature of the - the situation," the steward continued, moving to open a hatch.

"Don't open it!" the Doctor shouted, jumping toward him.

His warning came just a moment too late, as the steward wrenched the hatch open and was immediately sucked out into the vacuum of space. Everyone cried out and grabbed hold of the piping running along the wall before they too could be pulled out. The Doctor made his way to the communications panel and used the sonic screwdriver to replace the shielding on that area. The pulling stopped and everyone slumped to the floor.

"Oxygen shield stabilized," the computer announced.

"Everyone all right?" he asked, moving immediately to Rose's side, relieved as she smiled at him.

"I'm still here, love. Not getting rid of me that easy," she teased breathlessly.

"Hopefully never getting rid of you," he said seriously, pulling his wife into a hug. "All right then? Astrid?"

The waitress looked up with a nod, panting slightly. "Yeah."

Still holding Rose tightly, he looked around. "Foon? Morvin? Mr Copper? Bannakaffalatta?"

They all nodded, getting to their feet. The small red man nodded confidently.

"Yes."

He turned to the rude man, realizing he didn't even know the man's name. "You, What was your name?"

He adjusted the lapels of his jacket, worried more about his appearance than the other passengers. "Ah, Rickston Slade."

"You all right?" the Doctor asked solicitously.

"No thanks to that idiot," Rickston sniffed.

Astrid looked at him in horror at his callousness. "The steward just died."

He sneered. "Then he's a dead idiot."

Astrid gasped and took a step towards Rickston, but Rose beat her to it. In a second, she was out of her husband's arms and crossed to the business man and slapped him full across the face, fire flashing in her hazel eyes.

"You stupid, selfish, son of a – "

The Doctor caught her and pulled her back, holding her tight until she stopped trying to attack Rickston.

"All right, calm down. Just stay still, all of you - even you, Rose. Hold on."

He released her and walked to hatch opening.

Rose jerked toward Rickston like she'd attack him again, satisfied when he flinched back and turned to join the Doctor at the opening with Astrid.

"What happened?" the Sto woman asked. "How come the shields were down?"

"I don't think it was an accident," he replied grimly.

They stared out at the floating wreckage, dotted with passengers and the women both sighed sadly. Rose took her husband's hand, knowing he would be hurting as much as she even if he didn't show it.

"How many dead?" Astrid asked.

Squeezing Rose's hand, he turned. "We're alive, just focus on that. We will get you out of here, Astrid. I promise. Look at me. I promise."

She nodded slowly, and Rose pulled her into a hug. She like this woman, and she understood what it was like to suddenly find yourself in an adventure you never saw coming. She thought back to their adventure on the viewing station at the death of Earth.

"Good. Now-" the Doctor looked around, assessing their situation. "If we can get to Reception, Rose and I have got a spaceship tucked away. We can all get on board..."

Rose leaned back and looked at him, sudden alarm on her face. "Umm…"

Her husband's face fell. "Oh."

"I'm sorry. She's already locked on…"

"It's nothing to apologize for, just makes this a bit harder," he sighed.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

Rose pointed out the hole. "That's our spaceship over there."

"Where?"

"There, that box. That little blue box."

They watched the TARDIS float toward the planet below.

"That's a spaceship?" Astrid asked in disbelief.

"Oi, don't knock it," the Doctor exclaimed.

"It's a bit small," she said sheepishly.

"A bit distant. Trouble is, once it's set adrift, it's programmed to lock onto the nearest centre of gravity and that would be...the Earth," he glanced nervously at Rose.

"She's not hurt though," his wife said softly. "And I'll be fine. We'll just have to get down to Earth."

He kissed her forehead and moved over to the communications panel. "Deck 22 to the bridge. Deck 22 to the bridge. Is there anyone there?"

"This is the bridge," a pained, frightened, and very _young_ sounding voice came back after a moment.

"Oh hello, sailor. Good to hear you. What's the situation up there?" the Doctor returned in relief.

"We've got air. The oxygen field is holding. But the captain..." there was a pause on the other end, "He's dead. He did it. I watched while he took down the shields. There was nothing I could do. I tried. I did try."

The young man sounded like he was going to cry, and Rose made a sympathetic sound.

"All right. Just stay calm," the Doctor said soothingly. "Tell me your name. What's your name?"

"Midshipman Frame."

"Nice to meet you, sir. What's the state of the engines?"

"They're um..." There was a groaning on the other end. "Hold on."

"Are you all right?" Rose asked, her natural concern for people prompting her to interrupt. "Were ya hurt?"

"I'm all right, ma'am," he replied bravely. "Oh my vot. They're cycling down."

The Doctor thought a moment. "That's a nuclear storm drive, yes?"

"Yeah."

The Doctor looked at Rose. "The moment they're gone, we lose orbit."

She bit her lip and nodded.

"The planet," the boy in the bridge said in horror.

"Oh yes. If we hit the planet, the nuclear storm explodes and wipes out life on Earth. Midshipman, I need you to fire up the engine containment field and feed it back into the core," he directed, trying to think fast about how to save the planet he loved and the woman at his side, not to mention everyone else.

"This is never going to work."

"Trust me, it'll keep the engines going until I can get to the bridge," the Doctor assured him.

He turned to face the others, looking grim.

"We're going to die!" Foon exclaimed.

Mr. Copper wrung his hands. "Are you saying someone's done this on purpose?"

"We're just a cruise ship!" Astrid nearly wept.

The Doctor held up his hands. "Okay, okay. Tch, tch. First things first. One: we're going to climb through this ship. B...no...two: we're going to reach the bridge. Three - or C: we're going to save the Titanic. And, coming in a very low Four or D or that little "iv" in brackets they use in footnotes...why. Right then, follow me."

"Hang on a minute," Rickston snapped. "Who put you in charge and who the hell are you anyway?"

Rose glared at the man.

The Doctor turned and drew himself up to his full height. When he spoke, it was a voice that commanded respect and obedience. "I'm the Doctor. I'm a Time Lord. I'm from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous. I'm 903 years old and I'm the man who's gonna save your lives and all six billion of the people on the planet below. You got a problem with that?"

The cowed Rickston slumped. "No."

"God, I just wanna kiss you," Rose said, shaking her head.

Her husband grinned at her. "In that case, allons-y!"

They headed away from the hatch, toward the interior of the ship. The Doctor slowly pushed open a metal door that lead into a stairwell littered with debris and sparking cables.

"Nice, why don't we have one of these on the TARDIS?" Rose commented drily.

"Careful. Follow me," he said, shaking his head at her cheek.

They moved ahead, clearing enough room to walk through. Astrid followed behind them with Bannakaffalatta, then Mr. Copper, Rickston and the Van Hoffs.

Mr. Copper couldn't help but comment. "Rather ironic when this is very much in the spirit of Christmas. It's a festival of violence. They say that human beings only survive depending on whether they've been good or bad. It's barbaric."

"Actually, that's not true. Christmas is a time of - of peace and thanksgiving and...what am I on about? Christmas is always like this," the Doctor laughed, looking at Rose. "Since I met you."

"Me?" she pretended to be outraged. "I had 19 perfectly ordinary, safe, boring Christmases on that planet down there before you came 'round and blew up my job."

They uncovered a dormant robotic Host.

"We've got a Host," the Doctor said, quite pleased. "Strength of ten. If we can mend it, we can use it to fix the rubble."

Morvin straightened and gestured between himself and his wife. "We can do robotics, both of us."

"We worked on the milk market back on Sto. It's all robot staff," Foon agreed, wanting to help.

"Brilliant," the Doctor nodded. "See if you can get it working. We'll see what's ahead of us."

Everyone but the Van Hoffs climbed the stairs to find their path blocked by wreckage.

"It's blocked," Astrid said, frowning.

"So what do we do?" Rose asked. "Can we shift it?"

"That's my girl," he said approvingly, kissing her cheek. "Rickston, Mr. Copper, and you, Bannakaffalatta..." he stopped and addressed the smaller man. "Look, can I just call you Banna? It's gonna save a lot of time."

The alien drew himself to his full, if diminutive height, and insisted, "No! Bannakaffalatta!"

"All right then, Bannakaffalatta, there's a gap in the middle. See if you can get through."

He eyed the gap. "Easy. Good."

He squeezed through opening and the ship lurched again, sending loose debris falling on them.

"This whole thing could come crashing down any minute!" Rickston cried in a nearly panicked tone.

The Doctor dropped his head for a moment, then said almost conversationally. "Oh, Rickston, I forgot. Did you get our message?"

The business man immediately reached for his vone and checked it. "No. What message?"

Both the Doctor and Rose glared at him, shouting, "Shut up!"

From the other side, the red man called back, "Bannakaffalatta made it."

"I'm small enough, I can get through," Astrid volunteered.

"Be careful," Rose said as they watched the waitress make her way through the hole.

"I'm fine."

Rickston pouted. "Thing is, how are Mr. and Mrs. Fatso gonna get through this gap?"

"We make the gap bigger. So start," Rose snapped, throwing a bit of metal at him.

The Doctor, Rose, and Mr. Copper began clearing the rubble away, while Rickston simply stood there, refusing to lift a hand. After a couple of moments, the laughter of the pair below could be heard. Rose smiled, glancing at the Doctor. It made her feel good that they weren't the only ones in love enough to laugh while their lives were on the line.

"What happened? Did they find a donut?" the miserable business man asked snarkily, prompting Rose to chuck another bit of debris at him.

"I can clear it from this side. Just tell me if it starts moving," Astrid called back, having made it. "Rose, if I can get through, you can."

Rose kissed her husband quickly and began to duck through. It was nerve wracking, having all the wreckage just above her head, knowing the Doctor wouldn't relax until she was safely through. Just as she was there, she heard him shout nervously.

"What's going on up there?!"

Astrid gave Rose a hand and grinned, calling back. "I think Bannakaffalatta and I just got engaged. And Rose is safe."

"Almost done!" Morvin called up to them.

"Good, good, good," the Doctor said, contacting the bridge. "Mr. Frame, how's things?"

"Doctor, I've got life signs all over the ship but they're going out one by one."

He reared back at that report. "What is it? Are they losing air?"

"No. One of them said it's the Host. It's something to do with the Host."

The Doctor swore in several languages and spun around, heading for the Van Hoffs.

"It's working!" Morvin shouted triumphantly.

The robot grabbed the man by the throat as the Doctor rushed to them.

"Kill. Kill. Kill."

"Turn it off!" the Doctor cried.

Foon tried, but the switch brought no response. "I can't, Doctor!"

"Go!" he shouted at her, getting her moving toward the stairwell.

He whipped out the sonic and aimed it at the robot. "Lock! Double deadlock!"

He pried the man free with his hands, pushing him toward his wife. "Okay, go upstairs!"

"Run, darling, run!" Foon cried.

"Information: kill, kill, kill..."

"Foon! Foon!"

The Doctor shouted up the stairs. "Rickston! Get them through!"

"No chance!"

He tore through the opening, leaving them all to fend for themselves.

"Rickston!" Mr. Copper shouted angrily.

Foon stopped at the opening. "I'll never get through there."

"Yes, you can. Let me go first, I'll help you," the older man encouraged her.

The Doctor managed to get to the comms and call the bridge. "It's the Host! They've gone berserk! Are you safe up there?"

Mr. Copper, Astrid and Rose were helping Foon.

"No, I'm stuck!" the woman cried.

"Come on, you can do it!" Astrid urged her.

Rose and Mr. Copper used metal poles as a lever to widen the space.

"It's going to collapse!" Mr. Copper grunted as Foon made it through. "Rickston, vot damn it, help us!"

He shook his head, staying as far from harm as possible. "No... way."

"Morvin, get through!" the Doctor shouted.

The man moved to obey, having an even harder time moving through the opening than his wife had, while the Doctor saw the repaired Host moving toward them.

"Kill. Kill. Kill."

The Doctor entered the gap behind Morvin.

"Doctor, he's stuck!" Rose called to him.

"Mr. Van Hoff, I know we've only just met but you'll have to excuse me," the Time Lord said, placing both hands on the larger man's rear and shoving him.

Morvin stumbled through to the other side, into the arms of his wife.

"That's it," Astrid said to him. "We've got you. Doctor, come on, get through."

The Host came up behind him just at that moment and the Doctor turned and shouted to it, "Information override! You will tell me the point of origin of your command structure!"

"I can't hold it!" Mr. Copper groaned, straining to hold his side of the debris.

Rose leaned down a bit, "Doctor! Come on!"

"Information: Deck 31," the Host responded, pausing in its intent to kill them.

"Thank you," the Doctor said quickly, scrambling through the gap. "Let go!"

The two released their levers, causing the debris to shift and crash down on the Host. Rose hugged him tightly.

"You don't half scare me to death, sometimes. Did that thing say Deck 31?"

"Yes," he replied, hugging her tightly in return. "But let's get these people to safety before we go get the bad guy."

The group continued on, soon finding themselves in an open room.

"I think we're in the kitchens," Rose said.

The Doctor looked at her. "Oh? What makes you say that?"

She pointed to a nearby counter where trays still sat, ready to be served to guests.

"Morvin, look, food," Foon said.

"Oh great. Someone's happy," Rickston sneered sarcastically.

Morvin glared at the man, putting an arm around his wife. "Don't have any then."

"I think it's best if we all have a bit," Rose said, sticking her tongue out at Rickston. "We're going to need all the energy we can muster to get through this. And I'm about this far from popping you."

She held her fingers up, slightly parted and her husband stifled a smile as he headed to the comms to speak to Midshipman Frame again.

"Mr. Frame, you still there?"

The timid voice came back. "Yes, sir, but I've got Host outside. I sealed the door."

The Doctor frowned thoughtfully. "They've been programmed to kill. Why would anyone do that?"

"That's not the only problem, Doctor. I had to use a maximum deadlock on the door, which means... No one can get in. I'm sealed off. Even if you can fix the Titanic, you can't get to the bridge."

He glanced at his wife, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, right, fine. One problem at a time. What's on Deck 31?"

"Um, that's down below. It's nothing. It's just the Host storage deck. That's where we keep the robots."

The Doctor examined the scanner, looking for some sort of clue as to how to fix the situation. "Well, what's that?" he asked, putting on his glasses. "See that panel? Black. It's registering nothing. No power, no heat, no light."

"Never seen it before."

"It's 100% shielded. What's down there?" he mused as Rose came to his side.

"I'll try intensifying the scanner."

"Let me know if you find anything," the Doctor instructed, removing his glasses. "And keep those engines going!"

Astrid brought them some food. "Saved you some. You might be a Time King from Gaddabee but you need to eat."

"Yeah, thanks," the Doctor said distractedly, taking the offered plate and sitting.

Rose smiled at her in thanks and sat next to him, motioning for him to eat.

"So, you look good for 903," Astrid commented, sitting with them.

"You should see me in the mornings," he joked, mouth full. "Rose says it's bad."

The women both laughed.

"If he's 903, how old are you?"

Rose tipped her head, thinking about the time she'd lived with the Doctor. "I… I'm… what twenty three, twenty four now?"

He nodded, swallowing. "Twenty four."

Astrid blinked. "Bit of an age difference, isn't there?"

The other woman shrugged. "I was human when we met, and he probably would have never made a move, but then… well, things changed."

"You ain't human?"

"Nope," she replied, popping the p as the Doctor chuckled. "But that's a rather long, complicated story for just now."

Mr. Copper walked up to them, smiling a bit nervously. "Doctor, Miss Rose, it must be well past midnight, Earth time. Christmas Day."

The Doctor looked up with a small smile. "So it is. Merry Christmas."

"This Christmas thing, what's it all about?" Astrid asked curiously.

"Another long story," the Doctor grinned. "I should know, I was there. I got the last room."

"You did not," Rose said incredulously.

"I did! It was an amazing night," he insisted.

"But if the planet's waking up, can't we signal them? They can send up a rocket or something," Mr. Copper pressed.

"They don't have spaceships," Rose countered.

Mr. Copper shook his head. "No, I read about it. They have shuffles, space shuffles."

The Doctor tipped his head. "Mr. Copper, this degree in Earthonomics... where's it from?"

"Where do you all get your information?" he countered.

"Nineteen years of living there," Rose answered. "I was from Earth until I ran away with an alien. Your turn."

The man looked around nervously. "Honestly?"

"Just between us," the Doctor swore, winking at the other man.

He flushed slightly and dropped his head. "Mrs. Golightly's Happy Travelling University and Dry Cleaners."

Astrid stared at him with wide, unblinking eyes. "You - you lied to the company... to get the job?"

"I- I wasted my life on Sto. I was a travelling salesman, always on the road and I reached retirement with nothing to show for it. Not even a home. And Earth sounded so exotic," Mr. Copper explained, his desperation clear on his face.

"Hm, I suppose it is, yeah," the Doctor smiled slightly, draping an arm around Rose. "I spent a good many years happy there and happier still because of that planet."

She grinned up at him. "No matter what year we find ourselves in."

Astrid looked at them. "How'd you end together again?"

He moved his arm to rub the back of his neck sheepishly. "I was sort of...a few years ago, was sorta made... well, sort of homeless, and, um there was the Earth, and there was a sort of invasion…"

"And he blew up my job during it," Rose added cheekily.

"Thing is," Mr. Copper interrupted, "if we survive this, there will be police and all sorts of investigations. Now the minimum penalty for space-age fraud is ten years in jail. I'm an old man. Well, I won't survive ten years."

There was a banging on the door and the Doctor dropped his food and rushed to it, locking it.

"A Host! Move! Come on!"

The pounding continued on the door, which began to dent from the force. Astrid screamed in fear and they all rushed to follow the Doctor to the opposite side. He used the sonic screwdriver on the door and it opened to reveal a space that ran the height of the ship. The only way across was a makeshift bridge - created by a fallen strut - below which were the engines.

"Who designed this thing?" Rose asked over the roar of the engines.

"Is that the only way across?" Rickston asked, pointing to the strut.

"On the other hand, it is a way across," the Doctor said, trying to point out the positives.

"The engines are open," Astrid exclaimed.

The Doctor nodded. "Nuclear storm drive. Soon as it stops, the Titanic falls."

The pounding continued behind them.

"But that thing, it'll never take our weight," Morvin said worriedly to the Doctor, glancing at his frightened wife.

Rickston sneered at the overweight man. "You're going last, mate."

The Time Lord shook his head. "It's nitrofine metal. It's stronger than it looks."

"All the same, Rickston's right. Me and Foon should –"

As he attempted to explain, he shifted to the side, stepping on a bit of edging weakened from the impact. The railing gave way and he lost his balance, falling toward the engine with a fading scream. Rose barely held Foon back as the woman reached toward her lost mate.

"Morvin!"

The others stood in silent shock and horror as one of their small party was lost.

"I told you! I told you!" Rickston shouted.

It was Mr. Copper who turned to the self centered businessman and raised his hand threateningly. "Just shut up! Shut up!"

"Bring him back!" Foon screamed hysterically. "Can't you bring him back? Bring him back, Doctor!"

"I'm sorry, I can't." The words were spoken softly, with such heartache, that none of them could doubt his sincerity.

"You promised me!" the grieving woman sobbed.

"I know. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Rose hugged her, knowing the pain of losing someone you loved. Her eyes locked with the Doctor's. "This isn't your fault love. And we still have the rest of these people to save."

More pounding centered them on the sickening reality that if they didn't move, they would all join Morvin in death.

"Doctor, I rather think those things have got our scent," Mr. Copper said worriedly, glancing at the door.

"I'm not waiting," Rickston said, once again reacting selfishly and starting across the bridge.

"Careful! Take it slowly!" the Doctor called in caution.

The ship rumbled and rocked and the man was nearly thrown off the beam.

"Vot help me."

"You're okay," Rose said, not feeling particularly sympathetic toward him. "One step at a time. Come on, you can do it."

"They're getting nearer!" Mr. Copper called in reference to the Host trying to get to them.

"I have to seal us in," the Doctor muttered, using his sonic screwdriver on the door.

"Leaving us trapped, wouldn't you say?" the older gentleman commented.

"Never say trapped, just inconveniently circumstanced," the Doctor disagreed.

"I'm okay!" Rickston shouted, though no one was particularly concerned about much more than whether it was possible to make it across.

"Maybe he's all right," Foon said in a sudden, hopeful tone. "Maybe - Maybe there's a gravity curve down there or something. I don't know. Maybe he's unconscious."

"I'm sorry, Foon. He's gone," Astrid said gently, hugging the woman with Rose.

"What am I going to do without him?" she sobbed.

Rickston reached the other side and cheered for himself. "Yes! Oh yes! Who's good?!"

"Bannakaffalatta, you go next," the Doctor directed.

"Bannakaffalatta, small."

"Slowly!" Rose warned.

The Host began to pound on the door just near them.

"They've found us!" Mr. Copper exclaimed.

"Astrid, get across right now," the Doctor ordered, placing himself between the door and the others.

"What about you lot?" she asked.

"Just do it. Go on," he half shouted, looking at Rose. "She's a lot like you, you know. All questions. Mr. Copper, we can't wait. Don't argue. Then you, Rose."

She nodded, knowing better than to pick a fight at that moment. The three of them made their way onto the beam and began the heart stopping journey to the other side.

"Foon, you've got to get across right now," the Doctor said, trying to sound supportive and caring, despite his growing panic.

"What for? What am I gonna do without him?" the new widow moaned.

"Doctor! The door's locked!" Rickston called from the other side.

In a softer tone, he said, "Just think... what would he want, eh?"

"He don't want nothing, he's dead!" Foon sobbed.

Rickston, not caring one whit about Foon or her torment, yelled, "Doctor, I can't open the door. We need the whirring key thing of yours!"

"I can't leave her!" the Time Lord snapped.

"She'll get us all killed if we can't get out!"

Even the Doctor couldn't argue with that. He leaned down to look her full in the face and said, "Mrs. Van Hoff, I am coming back for you, all right?"

As she nodded, he stepped away and began to inch across as well. Under this last bit of weight, the strut began to creak.

"Too many people!" Bannakaffalatta said.

"Oi! Don't get spiky with me! Keep going!" Rose demanded. "Ain't none of us getting off until we get over there!"

"It's gonna fall!" Astrid cried in fear.

"It's just settling! Keep going!"

The Doctor had to smile a bit at the tenacity of his wife. She never gave up, that's for sure.

The pounding stopped, leaving the area oddly quietly with only the soft rush from the engine below.

"They've stopped," Astrid noted.

Bannakaffalatta glanced back. "Gone away?"

"Why would they give up?" the Doctor asked wonderingly.

"Never mind that. Keep coming!" Rickston demanded, eager to get the door open and himself out.

"Where have they gone? Where are the Host?" the Doctor murmured to himself.

Mr. Copper was looking upward. "I'm afraid...we forgot they were designed in the tradition of Christmas - and angels have wings!"

He pointed at several Host who were gliding down from above and encircling them.

"Information: kill."

The Host reached up toward their halos and the Doctor shouted, "Arm yourselves! All of you!"

Everyone reached for bits of metal and pipe to defend themselves as the Host flung the sharp metal halos at them. The Doctor batted one away to catch another in his upper arm, while Mr. Copper missed one that left a slice in his leg. Astrid wobbled on her heels and fell to her knees on the pipe, while Rose was hit in the side, a decent wound left behind.

"I can't," Astrid moaned, cowering.

Bannakaffalatta rushed to protect her, shaking his head. "Bannakaffalatta stop! Bannakaffalatta proud! Bannakaffalatta, cyborg!"

The little man ripped open his shirt, revealing to them all that he was indeed a cyborg. With a shout, he sent out a wave of energy that rendered the Host inert. The robots fell toward the engine, one landing on the strut just behind the Doctor.

"Electromagnetic pulse took out the robotics. Oh, Bannakaffalatta, that was brilliant!" he crowed triumphantly.

The small alien smiled weakly, falling. Astrid was up in a moment and hovering over him.

"He's used all his power!" she cried.

"Did good?" he asked her quietly.

She nodded tearfully. "You saved our lives."

"Bannakaffalatta happy," he sighed.

"We can recharge you, get you to a power point and just plug you in!" she said, touching his face.

"Too late."

Rose looked at the Doctor questioningly, but he shook his head sadly. He didn't know if her strange abilities would work in helping their small friend, and he couldn't risk her when she was already injured and in trouble.

Astrid was crying now. "No, but...you gotta get me that drink, remember?"

The small alien reached toward her face, murmuring softly, "Pretty girl."

As he breathed his last, Astrid tried to cover him respectfully, sobbing quietly. Mr. Copper crawled to them, reaching for Bannakaffalatta's power source.

"I'm sorry. Forgive me," he said with a heavy tone.

"Leave him alone," Astrid ordered him.

"It's the EMP transmitter. He - he'd want us to use it," the older man said gently, removing the core. "I used to sell these things. They'd always give me a bed for the night in the cyborg caravans. They're good people. But if we can recharge it, we can reuse it as a weapon against the rest of the Host. Bannakaffalatta might have saved us all."

"Do you think? Try telling him that," Rickston snapped, pointing at the Host.

It was beginning to move. "Information: reboot."

"Use the EMP!" Rickston yelled.

"It's dead!" Mr. Copper shouted back.

"It's gotta have emergency – " Astrid said hopefully, taking the core from Mr. Copper.

The Doctor turned to the Host, his only thought that he had to at least get Rose to safety.

"No, no, no. Hold on. Override loophole security protocol... Ten! 666! Oh. 21, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Um, I dunno, 42! Uh, one!" he shouted, hoping against hope that something would work.

The Host stopped mid-motion and stood passively before them. "Information: state request."

"Good...right. You've been ordered to kill the survivors, but why?" the Doctor asked.

"Information: no witnesses."

Rose glanced at the others, who all seemed just as confused.

The Doctor shook his head. "But this ship's gonna fall on the Earth and kill everyone. The human race have nothing to do with the Titanic so that contravenes your orders, yes?"

"Information: incorrect."

"But why do you want to destroy the Earth?" he asked.

"Information: it is the plan."

"What plan?" the Doctor queried.

"Information: protocol grants you only three questions. These three questions have been used."

The Doctor blinked, taken aback. "Well, you could have warned me."

"Information: now you will die."

Just as the Host moved to kill the Doctor, a rope was thrown over its head and tightened around its arms. From behind it, Foon growled, "You're coming with me."

The woman took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and leapt off the beam, tugging the Host to its destruction behind her.

"Nooooo!" the Doctor cried, barely registering Rose move to his side.

The survivors watched the woman follow her husband's path to the engine and her death.

"No more," the Doctor vowed, turning to them. "No more are going to die."

The remaining people made it out of the shaft and into another set of maintenance halls.

"Right," the Doctor said, issuing orders like a general. "Get up to Reception One. Once you're there, Mr. Copper, you've got staff access to the computer. Try and find a way of transmitting an SOS. Astrid, you're in charge of this." He handed her the EMP transmitter that she'd given him. "Once it's powered up, it'll take out Hosts within fifty yards but then it needs sixty seconds to recharge. Got it? Rose, take this." He handed her the sonic screwdriver. "I really should have made you your own at this point, and I will when we get home. I preset it to open the doors on the ship. Do not get hurt or wander off, I know how you like to do that."

She smiled weakly at his attempt at a joke. "I never like the plans where we split up."

"Neither do I," he assured her, kissing her gently. "I am coming back for you, just like I always do. Astrid, where's the power point?"

"Under the comms," she replied promptly, showing him.

He showed her how to recharge the transmitter. "When it's ready, that blue light comes on there."

"You're talking as if you're not coming with us," the woman said, suddenly realizing.

"He isn't," Rose answered for him. "He's going to Deck 31 to stop whatever's sending the Host after us so that we have a better chance of surviving this and saving Earth."

"What if you meet a Host?" she asked, wide eyed.

"Well, then I'll just...have some fun, eh?" he said with a wink.

"Sounds like you do this kind of thing all the time," the Sto woman scoffed, even though she was near shaking in fear at the thought of him leaving them.

"Not by choice. All I do is travel. That's what I am, just a traveller. Imagine it. No tax, no bills, no boss, just the open sky," he said, looking for confirmation from Rose.

She smiled softly, seeing what he was doing and agreeing with him. "And you're sort of…unemployed now and we were thinking if the blue box isn't too small for ya, you could kinda squeeze in. Like a stowaway."

Astrid blinked. "Really?"

"It's not always safe," the Doctor warned her.

"I've got no one back on Sto, no family, just me. Could I really come with you?"

Rose answered for the both of them. "Yeah, we'd like that. Yes."

The ship lurched again and the Doctor stood and spoke into the comms. "Mr. Frame, you still with us?"

"It's the engines, sir. Final phase. There's nothing more I can do. We've got only eight minutes left!"

"Don't worry, I'll get there," the Doctor vowed.

"The bridge is sealed off!"

"Yeah, yeah, working on it. I'll get there, Mr. Frame, somehow." He broke the connection and looked around. "All charged up? Mr. Copper, look after her. Astrid, look after him. Rickston, um...look after yourself. And I'll see you all again, promise." He turned to Rose and touched her cheek.

"I know," she said with a smile.

"I'll see you soon," he told her seriously. "I love you."

"I love you," she echoed, kissing him. "Now go. I'll keep them and myself safe."

He returned the kiss quickly, but passionately and sighed before taking off down the corridor.

"And don't ruin that suit!" Rose called, wanting to end on a light note.

The four people headed toward reception, opening a door to find Host there.

"Do it!" Rose said to Astrid.

She used the EMP and the Host collapsed, leaving them all stunned for a moment before they cheered and laughed.

"Recharge it," Mr. Copper said. "We may just make it."

The Doctor hadn't gone far when he found himself surrounded by Host. A few smartly worded questions later he was taken to Deck 31.

Above, in reception, Astrid had just knocked out a room full of Host and they looked around. As one, they all ran toward the tour desk.

"Rickston, seal the doors, make the room secure," Rose said as Astrid charged the EMP. "Mr. Copper, keep an eye on the Host. We need to check the computer. We need that SOS."

She tried several things, but the computer wasn't working. She hit it in a manner she'd definitely picked up from a certain Time Lord. Then she saw the teleport bracelets.

"Bridge, this is Reception!" she said into the comms.

"Who's there?" Frame's voice replied.

"I'm Rose Tyler. I'm the Doctor's wife. Tell me, can you divert any power to the teleport system?"

"No way, ma'am. I'm using everything I got to keep the engines running."

She shook her head. "It's just one trip. I need to get to Deck 31."

"And I'm telling you no."

Astrid handed the EMP to Mr. Copper and joined Rose at the comms.

"Mr. Frame... this is for the Doctor. He's gone down there on his own, and we can't just leave him. He's done everything he can to save us. It's time we did something to help him," the waitress said, grabbing Rose's hand.

"Giving you power."

Rose turned on the teleport and grabbed a bracelet. Astrid grabs one also.

"Mr. Copper, we're gonna find him," the Sto woman said.

Rose didn't argue. They would both likely be needed, knowing her husband.

"Good luck," the man said sincerely as they put the bracelets on and teleported.

"Oh, ho ho, the office joker. I like a funny man. No one's been funny with me for years," the women heard as they arrived, seeing max Capricorn's head on a large machine keeping it alive.

"I can't think why," the Doctor replied blithely.

The two women snuck closer.

"176 years of running the company have taken their toll."

The Doctor shrugged. "Yeah, but...nice wheels."

"No, a life-support system in a society that despises cyborgs. I've had to hide away for years. Running the company by hologram. Host, situation report," the embittered man complained.

"Information: Titanic is still in orbit."

"Let me see," he snapped, moving forward as the Doctor stepped out of his way. "We should have crashed by now. What's gone wrong?" He moved to the edge of the platform and looked down on engines. "The engines are still running! They should have stopped!"

"When they do, the Earth gets roasted," the Doctor said. "I don't understand. What's the Earth got to do with it?"

"This interview is terminated," Max snapped, moving back toward his impact chamber.

"No, no, no, no, no, no! Hold on! Hold on! Hold on! Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait! I can work it out. It's like a task. I'm your apprentice. Just watch me. So... Business is failing and you wreck the ship so that makes things even worse. Oh yes! No. Yes. The business isn't failing, it's failed. Past tense."

The mogul turned around, scowling fiercely. "My own board voted me out. Stabbed me in the back."

"If you had a back. So... You scupper the ship, wipe out any survivors in case anyone's rumbled you and the board find their shares halved in value. Oh, but that's not enough. No, 'cause if a Max Capricorn ship hits the Earth, it destroys an entire planet. Outrage back home. Scandal! The business is wiped out."

Rose and Astrid moved closer, separating to find hiding spots.

Max smirked fiendishly. "And... the whole board thrown in jail for mass murder."

"While you sit there, safe inside the impact chamber," the Doctor said in horrified disbelief.

"I have men waiting to retrieve me from the ruins and enough off-world accounts to retire me to the beaches of Pentaxico Two where the ladies, so I'm told, are very fond of...metal."

The Doctor reared back, indignant at the man's self centered callousness. "So that's the plan. A retirement plan. 2000 on this ship, 6 billion underneath us, all of them slaughtered. And why? Because Max Capricorn is a loser."

"I never lose," Max growled.

"You can't even sink the Titanic," the Doctor scoffed.

"Oh, but I can, Doctor. I can cancel the engines from here."

Around them, alarms began to sound.

"You can't do this!" the Doctor shouted.

Max turned away, coldly indifferent. "Host, hold him."

Two Host grabbed the Doctor by the arms and pulled him away.

"Not so clever now, Doctor. A shame we couldn't work together. You're rather good. All that banter yet not a word wasted. Time for me to retire. The Titanic is falling. The sky will burn. Let the Christmas inferno commence. Oh! Oh, Host! Kill him."

As the Host prepared to obey, an engine started, surprising even Rose. A forklift pulls around a corner with Astrid at the controls.

"Mr. Capricorn! I resign."

She put it into gear and drove toward the former man.

Rose burst from her hiding spot, crying out at the same time as the Doctor, "Astrid, don't!"

The woman lifted the front of Max's life support vehicle just enough so that his tires couldn't move him, but he had enough traction in the back tires to hold her at bay. The Host that had been going to kill the Doctor threw its halo at Astrid instead, missing by inches, but severing something on the forklift.

"He's cut the break line!"

Rose screamed no, but Astrid shook her head and raised the forklift. She plunged both Max and herself off the edge and into the engines.

"Astrid!" Rose cried, rushing to the edge.

The Doctor was right behind her, holding her close as their new friend was lost to them.

The ship began to fall out of orbit then and the Doctor looked around. The Host looked to him, obviously seeing him as the highest authority figure on the ship. He held out his arms to them. "Take us to the bridge, fastest path."

They lifted him by the arms and one raised Rose in a cradling motion and they carried them off through the shaft, bursting through the wall and causing the young man inside to shout and scramble back.

"Deadlock broken," the computer announced.

The Doctor helped Rose to stand and turned. "Ah, Midshipman Frame at last!"

"Uh, but-but the Host!"

He nodded. "Controller dead they divert to the next highest authority and that's me."

"There's nothing we can do. There's no power. The ship's gonna fall."

As if to confirm his statement, the computer announced, "Titanic falling."

The Doctor took the wheel and looked at the young man. "What's your first name?"

"Alonzo."

Grinning gleefully, the Doctor looks back at Rose. "Did you hear that?"

She nodded, moving to his side.

"That's something else I've always wanted to say. Allons-y Alonzo! Whoa!"

The ship lurched dramatically as the Doctor tried to steer. They began to fall straight towards Earth's atmosphere and Mr. Frame screamed. The Doctor fought the wheel and Rose grabbed the nearby railing and held tight, trusting that if anyone could do it, it would be her husband.

An alarm sounded and the Doctor used his foot to check it. The computer showed the impact zone to be somewhere in London.

Rose groaned. "That figures."

The Doctor used the computer to contact the royal palace. "Listen to me! Security Code 771! Now get out of there!"

The computer announced, "Engine active. Engine active."

The Doctor pulled violently back on the wheel sending Frame back against the wall and nearly causing Rose to lose her hold. Straining and bent over backwards, he managed to regain control. The ship barely missed Buckingham Palace. The Doctor gasped, unable to believe his luck.

A few minutes later, once they were out of trouble and safely back in orbit, the Doctor sank into the floor next to Mr. Frame while Rose leaned against a control panel.

"Used the heat of re-entry to fire up the secondary storm drive. Unsinkable, that's me," the Doctor explained.

"We made it," the young man said in awe.

"Not all of us," Rose said sadly, touching the teleport bracelet she still wore.

The Doctor looked up. "Teleport! She was wearing a teleport bracelet!"

He leapt to his feet and grabbed her hand, rushing out the door and toward reception, Mr. Frame following them curiously.

He burst into reception, already holding the sonic screwdriver that he'd reclaimed from his wife. "Mr. Copper, the teleports, have they got emergency settings?"

"I don't know. They should have," the man answered, flustered.

"She fell, Mr. Copper. She fell. What's the emergency code?"

Rose blinked, looking at her bracelet as his meaning clicked.

"Uh, let me see..."

"What the hell are you doing?" Mr. Frame asked, thoroughly confused.

"We can bring her back," Rose said as the Doctor began to work on the teleport.

Mr. Copper looked at the midshipman. "If a passenger has an accident on shore leave and they're still wearing their teleport, their molecules are automatically suspended and held in stasis so that we can just trigger the shift."

"There!" the Doctor cried, standing and turning around.

A glowing, transparent Astrid appeared before them. "I'm falling."

"Only halfway there. Come on," he growled, adjusting the workings.

"I keep falling…"

"Feed back the molecule grid, boost it with the restoration matrix," he said as the teleport sparked. "No, no, no, no! Need more phase containment."

Rose shook her head and laid a hand on the teleportation console. "This time, I'm helping," she said, her voice echoing slightly as her eyes turned to liquid gold.

"No, Rose wait," the Doctor said, moving to stop his wife but seeing it was too late. He did the next best thing and moved Mr. Copper and Mr. Frame away from her, just in case.

"Rose, if you can just link up the surface suspension..." he said softly, worried for her as she tapped into that part of herself that even he didn't understand.

The image of Astrid glowed brighter and began to solidify. With a gasp from both women, and a bright flash, Astrid returned to the ship and Rose collapsed. The Doctor rushed to scoop his wife into his arms as Mr. Copper checked Astrid.

It was some time later when everything settled. Rose woke groggy, but seemingly unharmed and with no memory of exactly what she'd done to save Astrid, who had barely left her side. The Doctor and Mr. Copper managed to get everyone something to eat and drink, and Mr. Frame took care of sending for rescue. The young man returned with a small smile.

"The engines have stabilized. We're holding steady till we get help and I've sent the SOS. A rescue ship should be here within twenty minutes. And they're digging out the records of Max Capricorn. It should be quite a story."

Mr. Copper cringed. "They'll want to talk to all of us, I suppose."

The young, and somewhat naïve man nodded. "I'd have thought so, yeah."

The older man looked to the Doctor. "I think, uh, one or two inconvenient truths might come to light. Still, it's my own fault, and then years in jail is better than dying."

The rattled, self important Rickston approached them. "Doctor...I never said...thank you." He hugged the Doctor, surprising everyone. "The funny thing is...I said Max Capricorn was falling apart. Just before the crash, I ...sold all my shares, transferred them to his rivals. It's made me rich. What do you think of that?"

The Doctor glared at him, obviously wanting to lay into him when Rickston's vone rang, distracting the businessman.

"Salvain? Those shares, I want them triple-bonded and locked," he snapped into the vone, wandering away.

Mr. Copper shook his head. "Of all the people to survive, he's not the one you would have chosen, is he? But if you could choose, Doctor, if you decide who lives and who dies... that would make you a monster."

The Doctor nodded thoughtfully, reaching over the counter and grabbing two bracelets, seeing Astrid and Rose still wearing theirs.

"Mr. Copper..." he said, smirking a bit. "I think you deserve one of these."

The man looked at it then put it on as he realized what was about to happen. The midshipman stood as he saw them, starting to say something. The Doctor merely saluted and teleported them all to the surface before decommissioning the bracelets to prevent being called back.

They headed for the TARDIS, which Rose assured him wasn't far, while she tried to educate Mr. Copper on her home planet.

"So, Great Britain is part of, uh, "Europee" and just across the British Channel you've got Great France and Great Germany," the older man said.

"No, no, it's just - it's just France and Germany. Only Britain is great," the Doctor chuckled.

"Ain't that the truth," Rose commented, still proud of her country of origin.

"Oh, and they're all at war with the continent of Ham-erica?"

"No, well...not yet, uh...could argue that one," the Doctor said as they arrived at their destination. "There she is. Survive anything."

Mr. Copper looked up at the sky. "You know, between you and me, I don't even thing this snow is real. I think this is the ballast from the Titanic's salvage entering the atmosphere."

"Yeah. One of these days it might snow for real," the Doctor said, looking at Rose, remembering a similar conversation not so long ago.

"But will we recognize it?" she quipped, her tongue poking out.

"So, I - I suppose you'll all be off," Mr. Copper said slowly.

Astrid sighed softly.

"The open sky," the Doctor said.

"And, uh, what about me?" he asked. "I'm not really suited to the whole travel thing."

Astrid shifted slightly. "To be honest… it's not something I want to do forever.

Rose nodded at the other woman. "Not many people do. You could both settle here. Earth's a grande place."

"What - what am I supposed to do?"

Remembering something, the Doctor held out a hand to Mr. Copper. "Give me that credit card."

He handed it over at once. "Well, it's just petty cash, spending money. It's all done by computer. I - I didn't really know the currency so I thought a million might cover it."

Rose blinked at him "A million? Pounds?"

He nodded. "Is that enough for trinkets?"

The Doctor chuckled. "Mr. Copper, a million pounds is worth 50 million credits."

The man took a step back. "How much?"

After a quick mental calculation, the Doctor answered, "50 million and 56."

"I - I've got money!" the man gasped, almost laughing.

"Yes, you have," the Doctor smiled, handing the card back. "And Astrid, when you are ready to settle, we'll make sure you're set up."

"I was thinking…" she said. "I do want to see the universe, but maybe, Mr. Copper, you wouldn't mind if I stuck around near you afterward. It would be nice to have a friend who understands a bit, you know?"

"Of course, I will tell people you're my niece," the man laughed. "I can afford to have many nieces now! And a little house. With a garden!"

Rose kissed the older man's cheek. "It might be a couple of years before we bring her back, but you take care and set yourself up comfortably. No messing with governments or anything silly."

"I will make you proud," he vowed, hugging them all.

Rose smiled at the Doctor as they unlocked the TARDIS and brought Astrid inside.

"Oh my vot!" she cried. "It's fantastic!"

The Doctor chuckled. "Yes, she is." He glanced at his wife, who'd settled quietly into the jump seat. "What is it, Rose?"

"I was just thinking…" she said, watching Astrid poke around. "I want to go to school somewhere. Learn about different alien cultures and such. And with Astrid, you could bounce around for a while and I could study…"

He nodded, moving to her side. "You know I hate for us to be apart," he told her. "But I also hate denying you anything. You would end up alone for most of your time, while I skipped through, hurrying to the end."

She nodded. "That's what I hoped you'd do. You've been alone too long, and I'm still fairly young, even for a human. It won't kill me to spend some time working through a degree while you take the short path."

He took her hands, aware that Astrid was trying not to listen. "Are you sure about this?"

Rose nodded. "I love you more than anything. Doing this will make me more of a help to you. I want to be the best possible partner for you, and to do that, I need to know more about the cultures we land in so I don't endanger us. Also, I want to prove to myself I can do it."

He kissed her tenderly. "Then we'll do it. Come along, Astrid. We need to get you a room."

_A/N: I really wanted to save Astrid. I thought she had such potential. Also, I'm sorry this took so long. I had to have a surgery, and was too ill to write. I hope it doesn't disappoint. Please leave a review to let me know what you think? _


	17. 0401 Partners in Crime

Season Four: "Partners in Crime"

Rose sighed happily, waiting outside the building. The Doctor would arrive any moment, and she'd been waiting for this for a long time. Her schooling was finally over. She'd spent ten long years studying in the Library, getting her degrees in xenoethnology and interplanetary psychology. She'd never thought that a girl who never got her A levels would ever become a woman who was fifth in her class in a whole different galaxy with _two_ degrees.

"Goodbye, _Aunt_ Rose," another woman said, bounding toward her to give her a tight hug. "Thank you for everything."

"Oh, don't mention it, it was wonderful to get to know you like this," she said in return, reaching up to brush the woman's hair out of her face. "We're going to be all right. It's all going to work out. We have to straighten out eventually."

The woman laughed, tears gathering in her eyes. "I know you're right, but it's so hard knowing all that is going to be out there. Not to mention what I told you about the… well, you know, and my… and he doesn't even…"

"Hush," Rose soothed her. "You love him, don't you?" The woman nodded. "You'd do anything for them?" Another nod. "Then you're going to have to trust me and be patient. But, as much as I love you, you're going to have to scoot. The Doctor will be here soon, and we both know how that would end."

Another hug and she was off, Rose waving at her as a voice behind her suddenly asked, "Who was that?"

She turned and threw herself into her husband's arms. "Hello, Doctor," she beamed, kissing him exuberantly. "She's a very dear friend, and we'll see her again. But not just now. Because now, I want to hear what you've been doing while I was finishing up."

"It's been a very boring few years for me, Rose," he said, hugging her tightly. "Astrid and I took a few trips, saw a few sights, but then she was ready to start her life and I was just bored without you there."

"Bored?" she laughed as he walked her toward the TARDIS. "You didn't get into trouble every moment? I know you began visiting rather frequently toward the end of my classes. Nearly every other weekend."

Her connection to the TARDIS renewed the moment she stepped aboard. She touched a strut fondly. "Hello, darling," she smiled at her home. "I missed you… Doctor!"

He jumped as she rounded on him. "What?"

"A few years? Liar! She says after Astrid left to start a life of her own, you skipped from visit to visit with me!"

He pulled her close and buried his face in her hair. "I'm not even going to apologize, Rose. I missed you. My life is empty without you. I wanted you to have your time and get your schooling in, but I wanted to be with you. I've spent so long being alone…"

She sighed and held him. "You don't have to be alone anymore, love. I'm going to be with you. You should have told me sooner."

"I was not going to take this away from you. Now, how about, as a treat for you, we pick up Jack and head somewhere silly?" the Doctor said, deftly changing the subject.

Rose let the matter drop, moving to the console. "If you want. But as a trade, I think it's time for me to learn to fly her."

Jack Harkness walked slowly toward the Hub, feeling a bit dejected. He hadn't seen or heard from the Doctor and Rose in several months, and he was surprised how much he missed them. As he neared the secret entrance, he saw a woman ahead of him.

"Can I help you?" he called. People didn't usually hang around unless there was a reason.

She turned and smiled. "Probably. After all, I'm here just to see you."

He grinned and ran to her, scooping his pseudo-sister into a hug and twirling her around. "Rosie!"

Rose laughed and returned the hug. "We missed you too. The Doctor dropped me here to convince you one more trip."

He set her down. "I don't know, Rosie. I have a lot of work to do here. And the team..."

She shook her head. "That's an excuse, Jack, and you know it."

He cringed a bit. "Things change, Rosie. I'm not sure I'm cut out for it anymore."

Rose tipped her head. "Fine. You don't have to come. How about just coming to have dinner with us?"

"That I can easily do." Jack looped an arm around her. "So where is the husband, anyway?"

"You'll never believe it. He's checking out something called Adipose. By the time we get there, he's either gonna be stuck somewhere, caught and in trouble, or trying to talk his way out of somewhere he shouldn't have gone."

She walked toward a motorcycle parked not far away.

"Nice," Jack grinned as she handed him a helmet.

"It's yours if you want it," she grinned. "Make up present for all the birthdays I missed."

He kissed her cheek with a wink. "Best sister ever."

Several hours later that evening, in the offices of Adipose Industries, the Doctor was running through the halls and ran smack into Donna, whom he'd just realized was there a few minutes before. She was beaming broadly at him, and he snatched her up in a hug.

"Oh my God!" she cried. "I don't believe it! You've even got the same suit! Don't you ever change? And where's Rose?"

"Yeah thanks Donna," he laughed slightly. "She's not here, but I'm not sure we've got the time to catch up just now!"

He glanced out and saw the guards heading toward them.

"Just like old times!" he teased her, running toward the stairs, Donna only a couple steps behind him. The two burst onto the roof and looked around. The Doctor rushed to the edge of the roof and looked down.

Donna hugged herself briefly, talking in rapid excitement, "Cos I thought, how do I find the Doctor? And then I just thought, look for trouble and then he'll turn up! So I looked everywhere, you name it - UFOs, sightings, crop circles, sea monsters. I looked, I found them all. Like that stuff about the bees disappearing, I thought, I bet he's connected. Cos the thing is, Doctor, I believe it all now. You opened my eyes. All those amazing things out there, I believe them all. Well, apart from that replica of the Titanic flying over Buckingham Palace on Christmas Day, I mean that's gotta be a hoax!"

He began working hurriedly on the controls of the window washer's cradle with his sonic screwdriver. All during her chatter, he nodded absently. But he looked up.

"What d'you mean, the bees are disappearing?"

She shrugged, moving toward him. "I don't know. That's what it says on the internet."

He climbed over the low wall and into the cradle.

"Well on the same site, there was all the conspiracy theories about Adipose Industries, I thought let's take a look!"

"In you get!" he said with a grin, holding a hand out.

"What, in that thing?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes in that thing!" he answered with a laugh. "Do you see the TARDIS?"

"But if we go down in that, they'll just call us back up again," she disagreed.

He shook his head. "No no no, because I've locked the controls with a sonic cage. I'm the only one who can control it. Not unless she's got a sonic device of her own. Which is very unlikely."

Donna sighed, crawling in after him. They began to descend the side of the building. After a moment, they stopped and began heading back up. Frowning, the Doctor stopped the cradle, knocking them both to the floor. He sprang to his feet and pointed his sonic screwdriver at the nearest window to open it.

"Hold on. Hold on, we can get in through the window," he reassured the redhead. "Can't get it open!"

Donna held a huge spanner out to him. "Well, smash it then!"

He took the spanner and swung it at the window. Absolutely nothing happened, but a strange sound from above them made Donna look up.

"Cutting the cable!" she shouted, but not fast enough.

The cable broke and the cradle tipped fiercely. The Doctor managed to hold on, but Donna fell out, barely catching herself on the cable.

"DONNA!" he shouted.

She was hanging to the cable. "Doctor!"

"Hold on!"

She snorted. "I AM!"

The Doctor tried to pull her up by the cable, but he couldn't quite manage.

"Doctor!" Donna cried again, slipping just a bit.

A strange noise caused him to look up and he saw the head of the company cutting the other cable. The Doctor pointed the screwdriver to her hand, and the pen sparked causing her to drop it. The Doctor caught the second sonic, then climbed up the cable to another window, finding it open.

"Hello, love," Rose grinned. "You were late for dinner, so Jack and I came to you."

"Hey, Doc," the captain said slowly, narrowing his eyes and stepping to the window. He looked up, then down before turning back to the couple. "All right, let's go."

Rose didn't even have a chance to ask what was happening as the two men rushed her from the room and down a few flights of stairs to a room in which a young black woman was sitting, tied to a chair. A woman's feet were clearly visible out the window.

"Is anyone gonna tell me what's going on?" the woman on the chair asked.

"What, you're a journalist?" the Doctor asked, trying to open the window.

"Yes."

"Well, make it up!" he answered glibly as he reached out and grabbed the legs.

"Get off!" the woman yelled.

"Hang on, I know that voice!" Rose exclaimed as Jack moved to untie the journalist.

"I've got you! I've got you. Stop kicking!"

He finally managed to pull her inside where Rose caught her in a huge hug.

Donna hugged the smaller blonde woman back, asking, "I was right. It's always like this with you, innit?"

The Doctor grinned. "OH YES! And off we go!"

Jack looked at the woman he'd just released. "Now do yourself a favour, get out."

Come on, Jack!" Rose called as the other three ran for the door.

He followed, knowing it would be a while before they would all have a chance to chat. They ran across the call center area - meeting the woman in charge and the guards.

"Well then," she smiled coldly, taking off her glasses, "at last."

Donna waved slightly. "Hello."

The Doctor smiled. "Nice to meet you, I'm the Doctor, this is Jack, Donna, and my wife, Rose."

"Wife?" Donna asked, beaming at them. "When did that happen?"

"1969," Rose replied. "But now may not be the right time to tell you about it."

"Partners in crime," the woman nodded. "And evidently off-worlders, judging by your sonic technology."

"Oh yes, I've still got your sonic pen. Nice, I like it. Sleek, it's kinda sleek," the Doctor complimented her, pulling the device out and showing it to the others.

"Oh it's definitely sleek," Donna agreed.

"Can I get one of those?" Rose grinned cheekily. "I'll be good for… oh, a year or so – maybe."

"No you wouldn't," the Doctor chuckled, turning back to the woman. "Yeah, and if you were to sign your real name that would be...?"

The company head straightened with self-importance. "Matron Cofelia of the Five-Straighten Classabindi Nursery Fleet. Intergalactic Class."

"A wet nurse, using humans as surrogates," he clarified.

"I've been employed by the Adiposian First Family to foster a new generation after their breeding planet was lost," the matron explained.

"Hang on, what do you mean lost? How do you lose a planet?" Jack asked curiously.

The woman waved away the concern. "Oh, politics are none of my concern. I'm just here to take care of the children on behalf of the parents."

Donna laughed, "What, like an outer space super-nanny?"

She shrugged. "Yes, if you like."

The redhead thought about what that meant. "So... so those little things they're, they're made out of fat yeah, but that woman, Stacy Campbell, there was nothing left of her."

Oh, in a crisis the Adipose can convert bone and hair and internal organs. Makes them a little bit sick, poor things," the matron said, her cold smile back in place.

"What about poor Stacy?" Donna asked in horror.

Rose gasped. "Seeding a level 5 planet is against galactic law."

Donna and Jack both looked at the blonde, a bit surprised at the increase in her apparent knowledge since either of them had last seen her. Donna didn't realize how long could have passed for her and the Doctor since they'd saved her, and Jack (who suddenly realized she hadn't really told him much about what had happened in her life since their time with the Master) wondered how long it had been for them.

Matron Cofelia raised an eyebrow. "Are you threatening me?"

"We're trying to help you, Matron. This is your one chance; because if you don't call this off, then we'll have to stop you," the Doctor warned her.

"I hardly think you can stop bullets," the matron smirked.

"I dunno," Rose mused thoughtfully. "I haven't really tried…"

"And you're not going to!" the Doctor said sternly.

The bodyguards aimed their guns at the group and Jack sighed.

The Doctor flung an arm out in front of the immortal man. "No, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, one more thing, before... dying. Do you know what happens if you hold two identical sonic devices against each other?"

The matron paused a moment before answering with a short, "No."

"Nor me, let's find out!"

The Doctor pointed the sonic screwdriver and the sonic pen at each other, creating an awful noise. The matron and her guards squirmed in agony and a nearby glass pane shattered. With a shout, Rose pushed the Doctor so that he stopped.

"Come on!" Jack shouted.

They all ran for the exit, the Doctor sprinting ahead, holding Rose's hand tightly. They arrived at a storage cupboard at the end of a deserted corridor and the Doctor began throwing the supplies out.

"Well, that's one solution. Hide in a cupboard. I like it," Donna remarked snarkily.

"I don't know," Rose grinned. "A good cupboard has gotten us out of a few tight spots."

The Doctor shook his head, opening the back of the cupboard to reveal a big green machine built into the wall. "This time, we're hacking in to this thing, because the matron's got a computer core running through the center of the building. Triple deadlocked. And now I've got this and Jack here, I can get into it."

"It is nice to be loved, brother," Jack joked as he moved in next to the Doctor and began studying the machine. "Whoa, nice technology."

"She's wired up the whole building. We need a bit of privacy," the Doctor said.

Jack nodded, touching two sparking plugs together. "Just enough to stop them. Why's she wired up the tower block? What's it all for?"

The two men started fiddling with cables.

"Inducer online," an automated tone announced.

"You look older," Donna commented.

"Thanks," the Doctor said absently.

"Why doesn't Rose?" the redhead asked pointedly.

The blonde shifted. "Well, I don't exactly age now, Donna. I'll look just like this until… well, until I'm gone."

"You mean until you die?" Donna asked curiously. "Cos I would love to get in on that beauty secret."

"I wouldn't recommend it," Rose said seriously. "Not unless you're planning to live a long, long time and don't mind the possible death in the attempt. But I don't mind, seeing as it got me a forever with him."

Donna smiled. "I been thinking about you two for about a year and a half now. You do anything amazing in that time?"

Rose glanced at Jack and the Doctor. "Well… I lived about twelve years in that time. Not sure exactly how long either of them got. But I went to school, way out in the universe. Got me degrees in xenoethnology and interplanetary psychology."

"What's xeno…?"

"Alien cultures," Rose grinned. "I don't know them all, but I understand a lot more'n I used to. I thought you were gonna travel the world?"

The redhead snorted. "Easier said than done. It's like I had that one day with you and I was gonna change. I was gonna do so much. Then I woke up next morning, same old life. It's like you were never there. And I tried. I did try, I went to Egypt. I was gonna go barefoot and everything. And then it's all bus trips and guidebooks and don't drink the water and two weeks later you're back home. It's nothing like being with you. I must have been mad turning down that offer."

"What offer?" the Doctor asked curiously.

"To come with you," Donna answered as though they'd just asked a moment ago.

He stopped working and looked at Donna like she was mad. "You want to come with us?"

"Oh yes, please!" she replied eagerly, winking at Rose who covered her smile.

"Right."

"Doc, little help?" Jack reminded the Time Lord, wondering again if he really was over this life they led.

"Inducer activated," the monotone voice announced.

Rose jumped. "What's it doing now?"

The Doctor became a bit wide eyed. "She's started the program."

"Inducer transmitting."

"So far they're just losing weight, but the Matron has gone up to emergency pathogenesis," Jack said grimly.

"That's when they convert..." Donna said weakly.

The Doctor nodded, finishing her thought. "Skeletons, organs, everything. A million people are gonna die!"

"No, they won't," Rose said firmly. "You can stop her. I know you can."

He looked up, warmed by the faith in her eyes and nodded, reaching into his coat and pulling out a little golden capsule on a necklace. "Gotta cancel the signal!"

He pulled off one end to reveal a chip which he showed to Jack.

"This contains the primary signal. If we can switch it off the fat goes back to being just fat."

Jack grinned, hooking the capsule to the machine and doing a bit of work. After a moment, he frowned.

"Inducer increasing."

"What happened?" the Doctor asked.

"She's doubled it."

"No, no, no, no… I need... Haven't got time! It's too far, I can't override it! They're all gonna die!" the Doctor panicked slightly as he wracked his mind for another answer.

"Is there anything I can do?" Donna asked.

"Sorry, Donna, this is way beyond you! Gotta double the base pulse, I can't..." he trailed off, running a hand through his hair.

Rose place both hands on his shoulders, rubbing slightly, her voice calm and steady. "Doctor, tell us what you need."

He looked up at her, the fear of failure clear in his eyes. "I need a second capsule to boost the override, but I've only got the one. I can't save them!"

Donna gasped and reached into her pocket, pulling out another necklace, causing everyone to stare at her for a moment. The four people laughed in relief as the Doctor took the necklace and Rose and Donna hugged tightly. As the Doctor and Jack got it hooked to the computer, the lights in the machine went off.

Over the sounds of their cheering, a loud horn sounded.

"What the hell was that?" Donna asked.

"My guess would be the nursery," Rose said with a worried look.

"When you say nursery you don't mean a creche in Notting Hill, do ya?" the redhead nearly groaned.

"Nursery ship," the Doctor confirmed.

The computer unit lit up. "Incoming signal."

"Doc?" Jack said.

"Hadn't we better go and stop them?" Donna suggested.

The Doctor raised a brow as he listened. "Hang on, instructions from the Adiposian First Family. She's wired up the tower block to convert it into a levitation post. Oh. Ooh. We're not the ones in trouble now. SHE is!"

They all headed to the roof, just in time to see the matron being lifted into a tractor beam.

"Take me! The children need me!" she called.

Around her, the tiny Adipose babies were rising quickly, waving cheerfully at the people watching.

The redhead looked at the Doctor. "What you gonna do then? Blow them up?"

He looked surprised. "They're just children. They can't help where they come from."

She smiled. "Oh, that makes a change from last time."

Rose leaned against her husband. "Many things have changed. But these babies aren't going to kill people or destroy any worlds. The Adiposians are a peaceful people, mostly."

I'm waving at fat," Donna said in wonder.

Jack chuckled. "Actually, as a diet plan, it sort of works. There she is!"

They ran over to the edge of the building.

"Matron Cofelia, listen to me!" the Doctor called.

She gave them her cold smile. "Oh, I don't think so, Doctor. And if I never see you again, it will be too soon."

"Oh, why does no one ever listen?" he moaned. "I'm trying to help! Just get across to the roof. Can you shift the levitation beam?"

"What, so that you can arrest me?"

Rose tried. "Just listen, yeah? We saw the Adiposian instructions - they know it's a crime, breeding on Earth. So what's the one thing they wanna get rid of? Their accomplice!"

"I'm far more than that," she sniffed. "I'm nanny to all these children."

They glanced up, seeing the babies had reached the ship. The matron hung in the air alone.

"Exactly! Mum and Dad have got the kids now, they don't need the nanny anymore!" the Doctor pointed out.

The blue light surrounding her vanished, letting the stubborn woman fall the many stories with a scream that ended abruptly. They all looked away, Rose and the Doctor clinging to each other as they often did when they couldn't save someone.

"Why wouldn't she just listen?" Donna asked softly, though none of the others had an answer for her.

The four of them made their way slowly to the street and away from the scene. The Doctor started to throw the sonic pen into a bin, but he stopped and looked at it.

"Rose, would you care to have this?" he asked his wife

She looked at it thoughtfully. "It'll do until I get a screwdriver," she shrugged, pocketing the pen.

Jack laughed, shaking his head. "You know, I never thought a screwdriver could be used to save the planet until I met you."

"Or the galaxy," teased Rose.

"Or the universe!" Donna chimed in.

He shook his head. "You're all loony. Let's get to the TARDIS before someone reports us for madness."

Rose couldn't help but laugh. "How do you report someone for that?"

The four of them laughed, but it was cut short by the sight of a body being taken away under a cover. They all knew it was the Matron.

They walked away, rather brought down by their inability to save the Matron. As they were nearing the TARDIS, Donna finally said something that cheered the time travelers.

"Well, at least we saved everyone who was taking those awful pills…"

The small group stopped and looked at her in surprise. After a moment, about the time when Donna was beginning to squirm uncomfortably, Rose reached out and hugged her fiercely.

"Thank you, Donna. We needed that reminder."

The redhead blinked, but hugged the slightly smaller woman back before pulling away and beaming as she surged around the corner. "So, then - TARDIS! Come on!"

They followed her, to find her staring in gleeful shock at the beautiful ship that was home, and a rather worn out looking car.

"That's my car! That is like destiny! And I've been ready for this."

"You have?" Jack asked, watching her open the boot and seeing that it was full of suitcases.

"I packed ages ago, just in case. Cos I thought, hot weather, cold weather, no weather..."

"No weather?" Rose laughed. "Love, can we go find a planet with no weather? I'd like to see that."

Donna started to load her luggage to the arms of the stunned Doctor and the very amused Jack.

"Well... you lot go anywhere, I've gotta be prepared," the redhead said logically, handing Rose a striped hatbox.

"You've got a... a... hatbox?!" the Doctor cried.

She simply grinned. "Planet of the Hats, I'm ready!"

"Wait until you see the wardrobe, Donna," Rose laughed. "It's like having a mall all to yourself."

The Doctor move to stand in front of the TARDIS surrounded by Donna's suitcases, looking quite serious. Donna was babbling in the door to Rose, beaming, oblivious of his mood. Jack noticed the difference and tipped his head.

"Something worrying you, Doc?"

Donna turned, immediately coming to the wrong conclusion. "Do I need injections though, do I? Like when you go to Cambodia, is there any of that? Cos my friend Veena went to Bahrain, and..."

She trailed off, noticing the Doctor wasn't smiling anymore. "You're not saying much."

He shook his head, trying to think how to explain his fears. In his mind, all he could think of was Rose separated from her family forever, and Martha caring for her traumatized relations, and all of the problems he had caused Jack and countless others throughout his many, many years. "No, it's just... It's a funny old life, in the TARDIS."

"You don't want me," their new companion said softly, her tone deeply sad but accepting. It was as though Donna was quite used to being rejected or unwanted.

"I'm not saying that!" he amended quickly, eyes darting to Jack and Rose, silently begging for help.

"But you asked me…" the human woman said, still so quiet.

The Doctor just stared ahead, so sad and worn. Rose moved to him, trying to send him a wave of love and support, knowing what he was thinking without trying. He wrapped his arms around her and took a deep breath.

"Would you rather be on your own?" Donna asked. "I mean, since you're married now and all..."

"No," the Doctor said quickly, followed almost immediately followed by his wife's reply.

"Actually, no. But..."

He looked at the bags on the ground. "Every time, like with... Martha, like I said it... it got complicated. And that was all my fault. I just want a mate, for me and for Rose, but they always-"

Donna interrupted, all indignance and righteous anger. "You just want TO MATE?"

He blinked, his arms falling away from his wife in his shock. "I just want a mate!"

"You're not mating with me, sunshine!"

Jack and Rose began laughing uncontrollably.

"A mate, I want a mate!" he exclaimed. "Rose! Help!"

She struggled to stop her giggles and shook her head. "A friend type of mate, Donna."

"But if you're looking..."

"No, Jack!" the Doctor groaned, though he was beginning to smile again.

"Well just as well, because I'm not having any of that nonsense. I mean you're just a long streak of... nothing. You know, alien nothing," Donna sniffed.

"There we are, then. OK." The Doctor shook his head.

"I can come?" she asked, her eyes shining with hope.

"Yeah," the Doctor nodded.

Rose laughed, "Course you can, yeah."

The married couple smiled at each other and the Doctor told her, "We'd love it."

The woman hugged herself again, "Ohh, that's just... Car keys!"

"What?" Jack spluttered, still trying to stop his laughter.

"I've still got my mum's car keys! I won't be a minute!"

As Donna took off toward the opening in the alley, the three remaining travelers looked at each other and laughed again.

"You two better get to taking that luggage into the TARDIS," Rose nodded, heading for the door with the hatbox.

"Aren't you going to help?!" the Doctor and Jack both protested.

Rose grinned that tongue in teeth grin that had always gotten her husband and brother to do exactly what she wanted, and she knew it would work yet again.

"Now boys," she said seriously. "Someone has to pick a room for Donna."

She disappeared with a laugh and the Doctor just smiled and shook his head, loading himself up with luggage.

"She sure has you whipped," Jack noted teasingly.

The Doctor smirked at the equally laden captain. "Yeah, just me, Jack."

Jack winked. "Wouldn't want you to suffer alone."

"Too kind, too kind…"

When they'd gotten everything inside and Donna still wasn't back yet, Rose jogged out to find her.

"Donna! Shake a leg, yeah? Got a whole universe to see!" the blonde called to her friend who handed her keys to the policeman she was talking to and hurried over.

Neither saw the man stop and turn, brown eyes wide as he called out even while he faded away, "Rose!"

The woman in question paused and looked around, frowning until Donna pulled her toward the TARDIS. She still frowned as the two women entered the ship.

"What's wrong, love?" the Doctor asked, as he began to get the TARDIS ready to go.

She moved up and began to help, Jack lending a hand out of habit.

"I thought I heard Mickey call my name," she admitted, her voice holding a far away tone.

Jack moved to her side, ever ready to protect her from the world, and the Doctor looked at her, worried. Perhaps coming back to her correct time period in London was a bad idea after all. He would do anything to keep his beautiful pink and yellow girl happy and safe.

"Just wishful thinking, I'm sure," she finally said. "So, Donna, is it as wonderful as you remember?"

The redhead smiled, seeing that her friend wanted to change the subject. "Even moreso. Although frankly, you could turn the heat up."

"It is a bit chillier in here than it was before," Jack noted.

Doctor hit a button. "Sorry, just me and Rose, I don't notice she gets cooler. My physiology is more temperate, and Rose… well…"

The blonde shrugged. "I pretty well match the TARDIS. Don't much get hot or cold unless she's too far away."

"So, whole wide universe, where do you want to go?" the Doctor asked their new companion. "We'll drop Jack off on the way, if he wants."

"Oh, I know exactly the place," Donna grinned.

"Which is?"

She pointed. "Two and a half miles, that way."

They took the TARDIS to the spot she indicated, waving cheerfully at her grandfather who was sitting in his back yard with a telescope.

"I think I'm going back to the Hub, Doc," Jack said quietly while the girls giggled and leaned out the door together. "Take Donna, teach her about being brilliant, and keep Rosie happy. But you and I both know I'm a soldier, and there's still too much to be done for me to leave Earth. They can't do it on their own yet."

The Doctor nodded, putting an arm around his near brother in law. "I understand. But, if you ever need us, call. You still have Rose's number? Good. Don't try to do things on your own just because you're stubborn – like me."

They left him, and the motorcycle Rose insisted he keep, in front of his base and they headed off to another grande adventure. The Doctor pulled his wife into his arms after Donna had gone off to bed and they danced slowly in the dimmed light of the time rotor to the sound of the TARDIS' hums and she sighed happily.

"I will never regret choosing you," she told him as he bent to kiss her. "I will always miss them, but you're never going to be alone again, my Doctor."

"I love you, my Rose," he murmured to her. This time with her… it was the most important thing in his universe.

_A/N: So sorry for the delay in updating. Been going through… well, it's not something I want to talk about. But I do intend to continue on with both this and my other story, which is also getting an update. Please, oh please review and let me know that my hard work is at least appreciated._


	18. 0402 The Fires of Pompeii

Season Four: "The Fires Of Pompeii"

The sounds were the same sort of sounds one might hear at any point in time, in any marketplace, on nearly any planet, in any galaxy. Attention grabbing shouts, prices being haggled, even the sounds of livestock and mindless chatter. But this wasn't just any marketplace. This was Donna's first trip in the TARDIS, and she'd asked for the biggest cultural landmark she could think of.

"Ancient Rome," the Doctor said, pulling back the curtain that blocked the TARDIS from the street and leading Rose and Donna into the street. "Well, not to them, obviously. To all intents and purposes right now... this is brand new Rome."

Rose laughed softly and shook her head at his babbling, glancing over to their new companion.

Donna stared around her with an enthusiastic smile stretching across her face. "Oh my God, it's... it's so Roman. This is fantastic!"

She hugged them both, almost in tears from the sheer happiness she felt. "I'm here... in Rome. Donna Noble in Rome. This is just weird. I mean, everyone here is dead."

They walked along, taking in the sights, the Doctor holding Rose's hand tightly, always like he was afraid to let her go.

"Well, don't go telling them that," he chuckled.

Donna glanced back with a cheeky grin, but stopped as something caught her eye. "Hold on a minute. That sign over there is in English. Are you having me on? Are we in Epcot?"

Rose glanced at the sign, now able to see both the original Latin and the TARDIS translation. But she well remembered her first trip still. "That's the TARDIS translation circuits. Just makes it look like English... speech as well. You're talking Latin right now," she explained. "She likes to help."

"Seriously?" the redhead asked, amazed.

"Mmm," the Doctor smiled. Seeing a new companion's first reactions was always a treat for him.

Donna tipped her head, her tone testing, "I just said 'seriously' in Latin."

"Oh yeah," Rose laughed.

Donna burst out with laughter as well. "What if I said something in actual Latin? Like 'veni, vidi, vici'? My dad said that when he came back from football. If I said 'veni, vidi, vici' to that lot, what would it sound like?"

Rose looked questioningly up at her husband who shook his head.

I'm not sure - you have to think of difficult questions, don't you?" he accused Donna playfully. "Just like her when she started out."

Rose elbowed him. "Well, hopefully Donna's less jeopardy friendly."

"You finally admit it then?" he asked.

"Dunno what you're talking about," she responded airily.

Donna shook her head and grinned. "I'm gonna try it."

They watched as she walked up to a stallholder. The man grinned, thinking he'd found a customer.

"Hello, sweetheart. What can I get for you, my love?"

The new traveler took a breath and spoke clearly, "Veni, vidi, vici."

Unfortunately, the stallholder only tipped his head with a confused look. "Hunh? Sorry? Me no speak Celtic. No can do, missy."

She nodded slowly, heading back to her friends. "Yeah. What does he mean 'Celtic'?"

"Welsh. You sound Welsh," the Doctor explained, grinning at the two women. "There we are. That's something."

The three of them walked on, admiring the local wares when Donna turned to them, concerned.

"Won't our clothes look a bit odd?" she asked worriedly.

"We could go back to the TARDIS and use the wardrobe," Rose offered, grinning at the Doctor.

"Oh no you don't," he scolded her playfully. "Takes you forever in there. Besides, this is ancient Rome, anything goes. It's like Soho... but bigger."

"You've been here before then?" Donna asked, her curiosity piqued.

He nodded thoughtfully. "Hm, ages ago. Before you ask, that fire had nothing to do with me. Well, a little bit, but I hadn't gotten the chance to look around properly. Coliseum... Pantheon... Circus Maximus... You'd expect them to be looming by now. Where is everything?"

When he stopped and looked around, Rose did as well. She'd not been to Rome before, but if the Doctor was looking for something out place, then so was she.

He pointed down a street. "Let's try this way."

The trio walked on, passing vendors and citizens just living their lives. The Doctor watched Rose, her hazel eyes alight as she saw yet another civilization she'd never seen before. Even after years of travel and school and losing almost everything she held dear, deep down she still held the same love for all people and civilizations that he'd fallen for in the beginning. She'd been the reason he stopped rushing toward death, and she still was. He reached out and took her hand, causing her to turn that brilliant smile in his direction.

"I'm not an expert," Donna interrupted them, "but there are Seven Hills of Rome, aren't there? How come they only got one?"

The couple looked at her in confusion for a moment, then ahead to where the redhead was gesturing. In the distance was one large mountain, looming threateningly over the city. The ground shook, and the Doctor held Rose close until it stopped.

"Here we go again," the heard a man nearby say as the vendors grabbed their stalls and merchandise, clearly used to this shaking.

"Oh no," Rose moaned, the mix up clearing almost immediately.

Donna looked at them, "Wait a minute! One mountain... with smoke... which makes this..."

"Pompeii," he groaned, clutching his wife to him a bit tighter. "We're in Pompeii... and it's Volcano Day!"

Within moments, the three people were running like mad back toward the place they'd arrived, a bit of panic in their veins. When they arrived, they found only an empty spot where their beloved home had been.

"You're kidding. Don't tell me the TARDIS is gone," Donna groaned.

The Doctor nodded, pale and worried. "Okay."

"Where is it then?" she demanded.

Rose gave her a wry grin that didn't quite reach her eyes. "You told him not to tell you."

"Don't get clever in Latin, Blondie," Donna tried to joke.

The Doctor shook his head and darted to the nearby vendor. "Um...excuse me! Excuse me! There was a box-big, blue box. Big, blue, wooden box...just over there. Where's it gone?"

The vendor glanced over then grinned cheekily. "Sold it, didn't I?"

Rose stomped toward them, and the stall holder flinched. Even the Doctor cringed somewhat at her thunderous expression. She spoke in a furious voice that told of a slap coming. "But... it wasn't yours to sell."

He held up his hands in self defense. "It was on my patch, wasn't it? I got 15 sesterce for it. Lovely jubbly."

Rose's hand flashed to slap him, but the Doctor caught her wrist with a practiced ease. "Who did you sell it to?"

The man flinched backward. "Old Caecilius. Look... if you want to argue, why don't you take it up with him? He's on Foss Street. Big villa can't miss it."

"Thanks. And you're lucky I didn't let her go," the Doctor winked, running off with Donna.

Rose stood there a moment, glaring at him. "What did he buy a big, blue wooden box for?"

The Doctor dashed back and grabbed her hand. "Come along, darling. Let's not bother this man any more. We've got a box to retrieve."

The two of them rejoined Donna who looked at them expectantly.

"Ha! I've got it! Foss Street, this way!" he said, forcing himself to be cheerful.

The redhead shook her head. "No, I've found this big sort of amphitheatre I think... We can start there. We can get everyone together. Then maybe they've got a great, big bell or something we could ring. Have they invented bells yet?"

The couple glanced at each other, then at her in utter confusion.

"What do you want a bell for?" the Doctor asked.

She shook her head as though she couldn't believe this brilliant man could also be so dense. "To warn everyone! To start the evacuation! What time does Vesuvius erupt? When's it due?"

Rose glanced away, saddened that Donna had to learn about fixed points. She still felt the sting of her own lesson in that.

Her husband looked at their friend grimly. "It's 79 AD, 23 of August which makes Volcano Day tomorrow."

She smiled, obviously thrilled to have so much of a chance to do what she thought was necessary. "Plenty of time. We can get everyone out easy."

"Except we're not going to."

Even Rose winced at his harsh tone as the Doctor grabbed both women by the hand and began to walk.

Donna didn't move, tugging him back to face her. "But that's what you do. You're the Doctor. You save people."

He shook his head. "But not this time. Pompeii is a fixed point in history. What happens happens. There is no stopping it."

He tried to go forward again, but she still refused to move an inch.

Says who?" she snapped.

He glared at her. "Says me."

"What, and you're in charge?"

Rose felt the tension rising between the two and frowned. She hated when her loved ones fought, and especially hated it when someone unwittingly made the Doctor feel guilty when he already carried such a burden with him.

"TARDIS, Time Lord... yeah."

"Donna, human... no! I don't need your permission. I'll tell them myself."

She'd had enough. "Both of you stop it, yeah? You're acting like a couple of five year olds, and I'm not babysitting you."

They both blinked at her.

"I'm not kidding. You're bickering like enemies and you're friends. Doctor, maybe you could explain first that no matter what we'd rather do, some things can't be changed or they unravel all of time. And Donna, you start yapping on that the world's ending, you're gonna look a right nutter. Now, whether we like it or not, we're getting the TARDIS, and we're getting outta here."

She stormed off, going in the direction that felt like it would lead to the TARDIS, leaving the other two to follow sheepishly after.

"I just might have something to say about that, spaceman!" Donna shot at him as they followed the irate blonde woman.

He rolled his eyes and snapped back, "Oh, I bet you will!"

They entered a villa with many marble carvings spread throughout as another round of rumblings moved through the city. The Doctor caught a bust and returned it to its column and smiled at the man.

"Whoa!" he joked lightly, slapping its cheeks. "There you go."

The man of the house stopped in surprise, "Thank you, kind sir. I'm afraid business is closed for the day. I'm expecting a visitor."

The Doctor nodded easily, "Oh, that's me. I'm a visitor. Hello."

He leaned forward to shake the man's hand.

"Who are you?" the man asked in confusion.

The Doctor wagged his eyebrows. "I am... Spartacus."

And so am I," Donna threw in without considering it.

Rose barely covered her snicker.

"Mr. and Mrs. Spartacus?" the man asked.

The Doctor shook his head, alarmed. "Oh no, we're not married."

"Not together," Donna cried out, equally flabbergasted.

"This! This is my wife!" he exclaimed, pulling Rose forward, flashing her ring.

"Hello," she smiled, holding out a hand. She saw no reason to give a fake name, even if it was rather amusing. "I'm Rose. Please excuse these two."

"Oh, then brother and sister? Yes, of course. You look very much alike," the man nodded, briefly taking Rose's hand. "And you are as lovely as your name, madam."

The other two looked at each other curiously. "Really?" they asked together.

The man continued to address Rose. "I'm sorry, but I'm not open for trade."

"And that trade would be?" the Doctor asked brightly.

"Marble. Lucius Caecilius. Mining, polishing and design thereof. If you want marble, I'm your man." He seemed to stand a bit taller. Obviously he took great pride in his work.

Rose smiled, she enjoyed seeing people who liked their lives.

"That's good," the Doctor smiled. "That's good, 'cause I'm the marble inspector."

He held up the psychic paper, and Caecilius paled considerably. His wife fluttered her hands a bit.

"By the gods of commerce, an inspection!" She rushed to the young man sitting next to a fountain in their home, and took a cup from his hand, dumping the contents into the water. "I'm sorry, sir. I do apologize for my son."

The young man gave a shout of indignance. "Oi!"

Caecilius gestured for the woman to join him at his side. "This is my good wife, Metella. I- I must confess, we're not prepared for a-"

The Doctor shook his head, looking around and spotting the TARDIS. "Nothing to worry about. I- I'm sure you've got nothing to hide. Although, frankly, that... object... rather looks like wood to me."

He began walking toward it, Rose abd Donna just a half step behind him.

"I told you to get rid of it!" Metella hissed, shooting her husband a dirty look.

Caecilius whined, reminding Rose greatly of the Doctor when he wanted something. "I only bought it today."

"Ah, well," the Doctor sympathized. "Caveat emptor."

The marble worker blinked in surprise. "Oh, you're Celtic. There's lovely."

Rose place a hand on their home. "I'm sure it's fine but we might have to take it off your hands for a proper inspection."

The Doctor nodded enthusiastically. "Oh yes, you never know with these sort of things."

Donna smiled winningly at the man. "Although, while we're here, wouldn't you recommend a holiday, Spartacus?"

The Time Lord shot a glare in her direction. "I don't know what you mean, Spartacus."

The redhead continued, "Oh, this lovely family, mother and father and son... Don't you think they should get out of town?"

Caecilius frowned. "Why should we do that?"

The Doctor rubbed his hands over his face. Why couldn't Donna just trust him that he couldn't fix this?

"Well, the volcano for starters."

The man was truly confused now. "What?"

She said it again, slower and more clearly, "Volcano."

"What-ano?"

Donna shook her head. "That great big volcano right on your doorstep."

"Husband, sister, for shame. We haven't even greeted the household gods yet," Rose said, grabbing both their arms and pulling them toward the shrine in the corner.

The three of them pretended to pay homage to the images on the frieze while the Doctor explained in clipped, hushed tones.

"They don't know what it is. Vesuvius is just a mountain to them. The top hasn't blown off yet. The Romans haven't even got a word for volcano. Not until tomorrow."

Donna snapped at him, "Oh great. They can learn a new word... when they die."

The blonde woman laid a hand on their friend's arm. "Donna, stop it."

Refusing to cow under their quelling stares, the red haired woman simply glared. "Listen, I don't know what sort of kids you've been flyin' around with in outer space, but you're not telling me to shut up. That boy... how old is he, sixteen? And tomorrow he burns to death."

"And that's my fault?" he asked, the misery and guilt of hundreds of years stifling him.

"Right now, yes!"

"No, it isn't!" Rose hissed, placing a hand on the Doctor's arm. Whatever else she was going to say at that moment was lost as a servant entered the room and announced another guest.

"Announcing Lucius Petrus Dextrus, Chief Augur of the city government."

An older man strode in, a man who knew his position and importance. He wore his cloak so it draped over his right side.

"Lucius, my pleasure as always," Caecilius greeted the man with enthusiasm.

The three travelers left the shrine, watching the newcomer curiously.

Metella jerked her son to his feet. "Quintus, stand up."

The boy stood with a long-suffering sigh as his father gushed on, "A rare and great honour, sir, for you to come to my house."

The man nodded, clearly used to being fawned over. "The birds are flying north... and the wind is in the west."

Caecilius nodded, dropping the hand that had previously been held out in greeting to the augur. "Right. Absolutely. That's good, is it?"

"Only the grain of wheat knows where it will grow," was the hazy response.

The marble worker turned to his wife, "There now, Metella, have you ever heard such wisdom?"

"Never. It's an honour," she agreed.

They saw the Doctor, Donna, and Rose off to the side.

"Pardon me, sir, I have guests. This is Spartacus, and, uh, Spartacus his sister, and his wife, Rose."

The three waved a bit awkwardly.

"A name is but a cloud upon a summer wind," the augur said uncaringly.

The Doctor spread his hands. "But the wind is felt most keenly in the dark."

The cloaked man looked at the Doctor in surprise. "Ah! What is the dark other than an omen of the sun?"

I concede that every sun must set..."

"Ha," the man exclaimed.

"...and yet the son of the father must also rise," he concluded with a smug grin.

Rose sighed. "Just have to antagonize people…"

Lucius appeared very put out. "Damn. Very clever, sir. Evidently a man of learning."

Never one to miss a chance to stoke his ego, the Doctor preened just a bit. "Oh yes, but don't mind me. Don't want to disturb the status quo."

Shifting uncomfortably, Caecilius leaned over and whispered, "He's Celtic."

"We'll be off in a minute," Rose smiled charmingly.

Donna shook her head. "I'm not going…"

Ignoring the strangers the pair of men continued their business. "It's ready, sir."

Rose looked sadly at Donna. "You've got to."

"Well I'm not," the stubborn woman insisted.

Across the room, Caecilius stood at a veiled project, trembling with anticipation of the moment when he would show it to the augur.

"The moment of revelation. And here it is..."

The trio looked back when the cover was removed, and the Doctor stopped dead in his tracks.

"Exactly as you specified. It pleases you, sir?" the marble worker asked.

Lucius nodded, assuring the man, "As the rain pleases the soil."

"Oh now that's... different. Who designed that then?" the Doctor asked, his unquenchable curiosity prompting him to rejoin the pair of men.

"Every bloody time…" Rose muttered.

"My lord Lucius was very specific."

The Time Lord turned to look at the augur, not even attempting to hide his surprise. "Where'd you get the pattern?"

The man drew himself to his full height, adopting the look that normally would quell any who would dare to question him. "On the rain and mist and wind."

Donna was looking at the sculpture. "Well that looks like a circuit."

"Made of stone," Rose mused. "And you just dreamt that up?"

"That is my job... as City Augur," Lucius snapped, annoyed to be explaining himself to women.

"What's that then, like the mayor?" Donna asked in confusion.

The Doctor shook his head, hastily throwing out, "Oh, ah, you must excuse my friend. She's from... Barcelona. This is an age of superstition... of official superstition. The augur is paid by the city to tell the future. 'The wind will blow from the west.' That's the equivalent of the 10:00 news."

A girl, wan and pale, stumbled in from another room, staring at the three travelers.

"They're laughing at us. Those three, they use words like tricksters. They're mocking us," she said in a weak, trembling voice.

"No, no. We meant no offence," Rose promised.

Metella rushed to the girl's side, while Quintus stared in horror. "I'm sorry. My daughter's been consuming the vapours."

"By the gods, Mother! What have you been doing to her?" her son snapped.

"Not now, Quintus," Caecilius hushed him.

Quintus shook his head, not wanting to believe his parents could be so thoughtless in regards to his sister's well being. "But she's sick. Just look at her."

The augur raised his chin. "I gather I have a rival in this household. Another with the gift."

The proud mother sat her daughter on the edge of the fountain. "Oh, she's been promised to the Sybiline Sisterhood. They say she has remarkable visions."

Lucius sniffed disdainfully. "The prophecies of women are limited and dull. Only the men folk have the capacity for true perception."

Donna clenched her hands into fists, glaring at the man. "I'll tell you where the wind's blowing right now, mate."

"Donna, behave," Rose said softly. "We didn't come to cause trouble."

At that, the ground began to quake.

Lucius threw a dark look at the blonde. "The mountain god marks your words. I'd be careful if I were you."

The blonde simply leveled a look at him. "I do not fear the god of the mountain."

Consuming the vapours, you say?" the Doctor asked, partly curious, partly to distract his wife from getting angry.

"They give me strength," the girl rasped.

The Doctor raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "It doesn't look like it to me."

She looked directly into his eyes. "Is that your opinion... as a doctor?"

The three travelers snapped their attention directly on her.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Doctor. That's your name," the girl said, as though reading him.

He reared back in shock. "How did you know that?"

But the girl wasn't done. She looked at Donna. "And you, you call yourself noble."

"What?" the redhead babbled.

Finally, her glassy eyes locked on Rose. "And you… you're… time…"

"Now then Evelina, don't be rude," Metella said gently.

Rose stepped toward the girl, "No, no, no. Let her talk."

The girl, swaying slightly, said softly, "You've come… from so far away, but your essence… it's everywhere…"

Rose frowned, knowing she spoke of the Bad Wolf.

A derisive snort came from the man in the cloak. "A female soothsayer in inclined to invent all sorts of vagaries."

"Oh, not this time, Lucius. I reckon you've been out-soothsaid," the Doctor smirked just a bit more than was necessary.

Lucius turned an angry gaze on him. "Is that so... man from Gallifrey?"

Rose winced, but the Doctor gaped like a fish out of water. "What?"

The augur took his turn to smirk. "Strangest of images. Your home is lost in fire, is it not?"

Donna looked between the people she traveled with and the man who stood at the door. "I don't understand… what are they doing?"

"And you, daughter of... London," the man began, his attention drawn by her voice.

How does he know that?"

Rose frowned, taking a step toward Lucius. "Oi, you just leave her alone, mate."

"This is the gift of Pompeii. Every single oracle tells the truth," he said, looking at Rose. "You cannot command me, Wolf."

The blonde woman jerked as though she were slapped and looked at the Doctor with slight panic. "But that's impossible…"

"He will come to you," he told the woman seriously.

The Doctor growled slightly, his protective nature over his wife coming to the fore as he pulled her back into his arms. "Who is? Who's he?"

"And you, Daughter of London... you have something on your back."

Donna was scared. She wrapped her arms around her stomach. "What's that mean?"

Evelina spoke again, her tone one of wonder and respect. "Even the word "Doctor" is false. Your real name is hidden, known only to one, yet burns in the stars of the cascade of Medusa herself. You are a lord, sir. A lord... of time... joined to the blessed Aeternitas…"

With a gasp, the girl fainted, and even though she was frightened of what had been said, Rose rushed to her side.

"Evelina!" Metella cried, joining the blonde woman at her daughter's side.

With a careless snort, Lucius had his men take the stone circuit and left, while the house focused on the ill girl.

The three women were in Evelina's room, watching her sleep.

"She didn't mean to be rude. She's ever such a good girl. But when the gods speak through her..."

Rose and Donna exchanged a look, as the mother unwrapped a cloth from the girl's arm, bathing a rough spot with olive oil.

"What's wrong with her arm?" Donna asked curiously.

"An irritation of the skin. She never complains, bless her. We bathe it in olive oil every night."

Rose stepped closer. "May I?"

At the mother's nod, the blonde woman sat next to the bed and touched the place. "It's stone…"

"Evelina said you'd come from far away. Please, have you ever seen anything like it? She… she called you…"

Rose glanced at Donna before sighing. "Aeternitas."

Metella nodded, her eyes wide.

"Who's Aeternitas?" Donna asked curiously, sitting with the other women.

Her blonde friend glanced at her sheepishly. "She's… she's the goddess of Eternity."

"You're a goddess now?" the redhead quipped.

"In some cultures," Rose shrugged. "I might be able to fix this, Metella… but you can't tell anyone about it."

Metella nodded. "I won't say a word, Aeternitas. You have my vow."

She sighed heavily. "Rose, Metella. My name is Rose."

She laid a hand over Evelina's arm, closing her eyes for a moment. Donna watched as a soft, golden glow began. Her eyes darted to Rose's face, amazed when the other woman's eyes opened and turned to gold for a moment. It faded quickly, and she moved her hand to reveal the smooth skin on the girl's arm.

"Blessed Aeternitas!" Metella breathed. "Thank you, thank you, my lady!"

"Rose, how did you…?" Donna asked, her voice soft with disbelief.

"I'll explain later, Donna," the other woman said, obviously tired. "And Metella, I was happy to do it. Please excuse me, though, I need to tell my husband something."

She left the room quietly, the two women left thoughtfully silent behind her. When she found the Doctor, he and Caecilius were bent over the hypocaust.

"…hot springs... leading from Vesuvius itself," the marble sculptor was explaining as she approached.

The Doctor nodded with interest. "Who thought of that?"

"The soothsayers after the great earthquake seventeen years ago. An awful lot of damage but we rebuilt," he said, both proud of his city's accomplishments and saddened by its losses.

The Doctor frowned. "Didn't you think of moving away? Oh, no, then again, San Francisco."

"That's a new restaurant in Naples, isn't it?"

"Doctor," Rose interrupted. "There's something you ought to know about."

There was a loud grating and rumbling below the ground that caught their attention.

"What's that noise?" the Doctor asked curiously, instinctively reaching out and pulling his wife in close to his side.

Don't know," Caecilius admitted with a slight shrug. "Happens all the time. They say the gods of the Underworld are stirring."

"But after the earthquake... let me guess. Is that when the soothsayers started making sense?" Rose asked him, her eyes narrowed. She'd glimpsed something in Evelina when she'd healed her arm, and it did not bode well for any of them.

The Doctor looked at her in surprise. "Rose, what do you know?"

"Nothing concrete, but if I'm right, then the soothsayers, the ones who consumed the vapors, like Evelina, became a lot more believable after that earthquake."

"Oh yes, very much so. I mean, they'd always been... shall we say 'imprecise'? But then... the soothsayers, the augurs, the haruspex-all of them, they saw the truth again and again. It's quite amazing. They can predict crops and rainfall with absolute precision."

His hand tightened on hers for a brief moment before the Doctor asked, "Have they said anything about tomorrow?"

"No. Why should they? Why do you ask?"

The Time Lord waved dismissively. "No, no, no reason. Just asking. But the soothsayers... they all consume the vapours?"

Caecilius nodded. "That's how they see."

The Doctor whipped out his 'brainy specs' and leaned over the hypocaust. "Ipso facto..."

"Look, you..." the human man said, starting to wonder what this stranger meant.

The Doctor stood straight again, rubbing his fingers together. "They're all consuming this."

"Dust?" Caecilius asked.

"Tiny particles of rock," Rose said with horrified awe. "They're breathing in Vesuvius."

The Doctor kissed her forehead. "Will you keep an eye on Donna while I investigate? We both know she's likely to go door to door and try to evacuate the city. I don't want her to get into trouble."

"I don't want you in trouble either," she warned with a small sigh. "Try not to get caught and thrown in prison."

She left him to seek answers and returned to Evelina's room, where Donna still sat.

Metella brought in two dresses and held them out. "As a gift from our household. Please accept these?"

Donna reached out, touching the purple material of one of the dresses. "This is just gorgeous! I'll be happy to accept!"

Rose nodded. "They really are lovely, Metella."

Donna took the purple dress and went to try it on. While she was gone, Evelina woke and looked around.

"What happened?" she asked, looking around and flinching when her eyes met the hazel orbs of Rose.

"Don't worry," the blonde woman said gently. "No offense was given. Although, you seem to have mistaken me for a goddess."

The young girl smiled, feeling more at ease. "The personification of eternity. You are Aeternitas, but you don't like it. I'm sorry I said it."

Rose shook her head. "Please just call me Rose, Evelina."

Donna reentered the room at that point, adjusting the gown. "All right. If I'm wearing one, you're wearing one, Rose."

Rose took the pale pink dress and left, while Evelina giggled at the redhead. Donna playfully stuck her tongue out at the girl.

"You're not supposed to laugh. Thanks for that. What do you think?" She struck a pose. "The goddess Venus."

The girl laughed harder. "Oh, that's sacrilege."

"Oh and calling Rose a goddess wasn't?" Donna smirked back at her. "Nice to see you laugh, though."

Evelina smiled as the older woman sat on the bed. "That's different. She _is_ Aeternitas."

"What do you do in old Pompeii, then... girls your age? You got... mates? Do you go hangin' about 'round the shops? T.J. Maximus?"

"I'm promised to the sisterhood for the rest of my life," she replied softly.

Rose returned, wearing the ancient dress as easily as her jeans and jumper. "You get any choice in that?"

"Mother chose your gifts well," she said approvingly. "But no. It's not my decision. I have the gift of sight. The sisters chose for me."

"Then... what can you see happening tomorrow?"

"Donna, that isn't fair," Rose said reprovingly.

The girl looked between them. "Is tomorrow special?"

Rose shook her head. "Don't."

Donna sighed, staring at her hands for a moment. "You tell us, Evelina. What do you see?"

The girl closed her eyes. "The sun will rise. The sun will set. Nothing special at all."

Rose sighed heavily, mournful and relieved. "As it should be."

Donna shook her head. "I can't believe that… look… I've got a prophecy too."

The girl brought her hands up to cover her eyes and Rose felt an odd twinge as she looked at the eyes drawn on the backs of each hand.

"Rose, Evelina, I'm sorry, but you've got to hear me out... Evelina, can you hear me? Listen."

The girl trembled slightly. "There is only one prophecy."

The redhead shook her head. "But everything I'm about to say to you is true. I swear. Just listen to me. Tomorrow, that mountain is going to explode. Evelina, please listen. The air is going to fill with ash and rocks... tons and tons of it and... this whole town is gonna get buried."

"Donna," Rose sighed. "I told you they wouldn't believe you."

The young girl recoiled. "That's not true."

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, but everyone's gonna die," the former temp continued. "Rose wants me to just accept it, but I can't. Even if you don't believe me, just tell your family to get out of town... just for one day, just for tomorrow. But you've got to get out! Just leave Pompeii!"

The girl nearly sobbed. "This is false prophecy!" She pulled her hands down and looked at Rose. "Please, blessed Aeternitas, tell me this is false!"

Rose sat on the bed and pulled Evelina to her. "It's gonna be all right, yeah? Somehow, I promise."

There was a sound, a steady rumbling outside the villa.

"Is it happening?" Donna shouted, frightened.

Rose stood, moving to the room's exit. "Too steady, and it happens tomorrow, Donna, we told you. I think that's… footsteps!"

The three ran into the main room of the villa just as Metella shouted, "What is it? What's that noise?"

Caecilius shook his head. "Doesn't sound like Vesuvius."

The Doctor ran in, followed by Quintus. Rose flew at him.

"What did you do now?" she cried out.

"Caecilius! All of you, get out!" he shouted, tugging Rose protectively into his arms.

Doctor, what is it?" Donna asked, growing frightened at the way he pulled his wife close.

"I think we're being followed."

The Time Lord had barely gotten the words out when the grill over the hypocaust was blown into the air.

"Just get out!" he shouted, trying to herd the family out the door. The ground beneath the hypocaust cracked and a loud growling was heard. No one moved as a creature made of stone and magma forced its way through.

The young seer gaped at the creature. "The gods are with us."

The Doctor pulled back from Rose and said desperately, "Water! We need water! Quintus, all of you, get water! Donna!"

The blonde nodded, running out with Donna, Quintus and one of the servants.

Another servant stepped toward the creature in supplication. "Blessed are we to see the gods."

He wasn't so blessed when the creature let out a breath of pure fire and burned the man down to a pile of ash. The Doctor immediately headed toward it, trying to protect the others as he held his hands out to the side.

"Talk to me! That's all I want! Talk to me. Tell me who you are. Don't hurt these people."

Evelina saw two people from the sisterhood grabbing Donna and Rose, and covered her mouth. They'd taken the goddess… this was bad. She couldn't join people who would deny even a goddess, could she?

Once the creature had been dealt with, Evelina wasted no time in telling the Doctor what had happened to the two women. And she prayed that he would be able to get to them in time.

In the temple of the Sibyl, Donna slowly woke, to find her blonde friend glaring at the red robed women surrounding them.

"Rose? Have we seriously been kidnapped?" she looked around. "You have got to be kidding me."

Donna was tied to a pillar, while Rose lay on what looked to be a sacrificial altar, while one of the sisters held a dagger above her.

"Come on, Donna, don't tell me you're bored with our kidnapping already," she quipped. "We just got started."

The priestess growled. "The so-called goddess and her false prophet will surrender both their blood and their breath."

"I'll surrender you in a minute," Donna snapped, "Don't you dare!"

"Really, you'll be sorry if you try," Rose said cheerfully.

You will be silent."

The red haired woman struggled fiercely against her bonds, "You might have eyes on the back of your hands but you'll have eyes in the back of your head by the time I finish with you! Let us... go!"

"Don't you have better things to do?" the woman on the table asked, seeming calm, but keeping a wary eye on the dagger.

"This prattling will cease... forever," the priestess intoned, raising the dagger above her head in preparation to strike.

The Doctor's voice rang through the temple, "Don't even think about it."

Almost dropping her blade in shock, the sister wheeled. "No man is allowed to enter the Temple of Sybil!"

He waved dismissively, though his eyes were hard as he kept them on his Rose. "Oh, that's all right, just us girls." He began to move closer, not comfortable at all with her lying there. "Do you know, I met the Sibyl once. Hell of a woman. Blimey, she could dance a tarantella. Truth be told, I think she had a bit of a thing for me. I said it would never last. She said, 'I know'. Well, she would." Reaching her side, he reached out a gentle hand. "You all right there? You and Donna?"

"Never better," she laughed. "You were very nearly late."

He winked as he pulled out the sonic screwdriver. "I like the toga."

"Thank you, Donna got one too. And the ropes?" she smiled, loving him immensely at that moment.

He shrugged. "Eh, not so much."

"Quit flirting and get us out!" Donna cried in exasperation.

He used the sonic screw driver to free them, scooping his wife up and planting her on her feet at his side where she took his hand naturally.

"What magic is this?" the priestess asked, taking a step back.

The Doctor flipped the sonic and tucked it back into his pocket. "Let me tell you about the Sibyl... the founder of this religion. She would be ashamed of you. All her wisdom and insight turned sour. Is that how you spread the word, eh? On the blade of a knife?"

"Yes... a knife that now welcomes you!" the woman cried, raising the dagger once more.

"Show me this man," a voice demanded from behind the veil on the far side of the room.

Everyone turned as the sisters knelt.

"High Priestess, the stranger would defy us!" the sister with the knife cried.

Let me see. This one is different. He carries starlight in his wake, he and his Wolf."

The Doctor stepped forward, holding Rose's hand and nudging Donna forward as well.

"Ah, very perceptive. Where do these words of wisdom come from?" he asked, peering at the veil.

"The gods whisper to me."

Rose snorted. "I don't remember the conversation."

He elbowed her in a gentle reprimand. "Oh, they've done far more than whisper. Ah, might I beg audience, look upon the High Priestess?"

The curtains parted, revealing a very stiff high priestess. No… not stiff… stone…

"Oh my God! What's happened to you?" Donna exclaimed.

"The heavens have blessed me."

"That ain't a blessing," Rose said softly. "Oh you poor thing…"

"If I might..." the Doctor asked curiously. When she raised her arm, he knelt and touched it. "Does it hurt?"

"It is necessary," she said indifferently.

"That's a yes then," Rose sighed.

"Who told you that?" he asked gently.

"The voices."

"Is that what was happening to Evelina?" Donna asked, turning to the other women. "Is this what's gonna happen to all of you?"

The sister who'd been planning to sacrifice them stepped forward, her sleeve pulled back to show her forearm. "The blessings are manifold."

Rose touched her arm, a sad expression in her eyes. "They're stone."

"Exactly." The Doctor scowled. "The people of Pompeii are turning to stone before the volcano erupts. But why?"

"This word... this image in your mind, this 'volcano', what is that?"

Donna started to explain, but Rose's hand on her arm silenced her.

"More to the point, why don't you know about it? Who are you?" the Doctor asked, his brow furrowing as it always did when he tried to puzzle out a plot.

The rock woman sat up straight. "High Priestess of the Sibyline."

He smirked and shook his head. "No, no, no, no. I'm talking to the creature inside you. The thing that's seeding itself into a human body, in the dust in the lungs... taking over the flesh and turning it into... what?"

"Your knowledge is impossible," the creature gasped.

Rose frowned slightly, reaching out with the limited senses she'd gained from the TARDIS. This creature was not of Earth. And something in Pompeii's timeline was shifting. This was bad…

The Doctor was still engaged with the priestess. "Oh, but you can read my mind. You know it's not. I demand you tell me who you are!"

A strange, echoing voice came from the rock woman and their companion gasped in shock.

"We... are... awakening!"

"The voice of the gods!" the priestesses exclaimed, chanting. "Words of wisdom, words of power. Words of wisdom, words of power."

Rose tuned out their chanting with an irritated shake of her head.

"Name yourself!" the Doctor demanded. "Planet of origin, galactic coordinates, species designation according to the universal ratification of the Shadow Proclamation."

"We... are... rising!"

Rose grabbed his hand, her eyes flashing for the briefest moment. "Tell us your name!"

The priestess on the bed threw her hood back and screamed gutturally. "Pyrovile!"

Donna looked in horror at the women behind them as they rocked and chanted, "Pyrovile. Pyrovile."

"What's a Pyrovile?" she asked, as curious as she was horror struck.

The Doctor pointed at the rock woman. "Well, that's a Pyrovile... growing inside her. She's at the halfway stage."

"Well, and that turns into?" Donna prompted.

"That thing in the villa, that was an adult Pyrovile, wasn't it, Doctor?" Rose asked.

He nodded solemnly.

"And the breath of a Pyrovile will incinerate you, Doctor," the priestess threatened.

"I warn you... I'm armed," he said, whipping out a water pistol with a flourish. "Rose, get that grill open. Donna, get ready."

What are...?" Donna started.

"Shift, Donna, time for questions later," Rose said swiftly, moving to the hypocaust.

He narrowed his eyes. "What are the Pyrovile doing here?"

The unearthly voice spoke again. "We fell from the heavens. We fell so far and so fast we were rendered into dust."

The Doctor nodded, working it out in his head. "Right. Creatures of stone shatter on impact. When was that, seventeen years ago?"

"We have slept beneath for thousands of years," the creature corrected him.

He waved dismissively, watching Rose and Donna for a moment. "Okay, so seventeen years ago woke you up and now you're using human bodies to reconstitute yourself, but why the psychic powers?"

"We opened their minds and found such gifts."

Rose shivered at the outright greedy tone to the creature's voice.

"Yeah, okay, fine. You force yourself inside a human brain, use the latent psychic talent to bond. I get that. I get that. Yeah, but... seeing the future, that is way beyond psychic, you can see through time. Where does the gift of prophecy come from?"

The creature moaned as though in pain.

"We got it!" Donna cried, yanking the grill free.

"Now get down," he told them, backing toward the hypocaust, his water pistol still aimed at the creature on the dais.

"What, down there?" Donna asked, horrified at the idea.

Rose frowned. "Doctor…"

"Yes, down there! Don't argue! In you get, both of you! Why can't this lot predict the volcano? Why is it being hidden?"

"Sisters, I see into his mind. The weapon is harmless," the priestess who'd planned to sacrifice them shouted triumphantly.

He winced. "Yeah, but it's got a sting!" He shot the water and the pyrovile moaned in pain. He turned to see both women gaping. "Get down there!"

Rose dropped without further hesitation, followed by Donna and then the Doctor. They were in some sort of tunnel caused by the volcanic vents.

You fought her off with a water pistol," Donna cried. "I bloody love you."

Rose didn't say anything, her mind whirled with the information they'd been presented. She almost didn't even notice when the Doctor stood and took her hands, tugging her to her feet.

"This way," he said seriously.

Donna glanced around. "Where are we going now?"

Rose met his eyes and nodded, understanding. "Into the volcano," she answered their friend.

The redhead stopped. "No way."

The Doctor twirled the water pistol and nodded. Though he was smiling, it was clear he'd take no argument this time. "Yes way. Appian way."

They marched toward the heart of the volcano; one wary Time Lord, one worried wife, and one utterly confused companion.

As they neared their destination, Donna asked, "But if it's aliens setting off the volcano, doesn't that make it all right? For you to stop it?"

"Still part of history," he said quietly.

"Well, I'm history too," she reasoned. "You saved me in 2008. You saved us all. Why is that different?"

"Some things are fixed, some things are in flux. Pompeii is fixed," he said, the heaviness in his voice almost palpable.

"How do you know which is which?"

He stopped, turning to face her, the guilt and responsibility for countless lives and worlds obvious in his voice and eyes. "Because that's how I see the universe. Every waking second, I can see what is, what was... what could be, what must not. That's the burden of the Time Lord, Donna. I'm the only one left."

He turned, walking on stiffly, even leaving Rose behind him.

"How many people died?" the redhead asked Rose.

She frowned, hating to see him so upset. "Stop it, Donna."

"Tell me, Rose, how many people died?" she pressed.

"Twenty thousand," the woman said slowly, seeing the Doctor stop and drop his head.

"Is that what you can see, Doctor? All twenty thousand? And you think that's all right, do you?" Donna questioned the man, only able to see the lives that would be lost.

Before either could answer, the roar of a Pyrovile echoed through the tunnels. The Doctor's head snapped up and he sped back to grab Rose's hand.

"They know we're here! Come on."

They ran, avoiding pockets of flame until they reached a vast underground cavern. They gawked at the city built there, Pyroviles walking about as though everything were a normal occurrence.

"It's the heart of Vesuvius," the Doctor said softly."We're right inside the mountain."

"There's tons of 'em," Donna said in amazed horror.

Rose wasn't looking at the aliens though. She was looking for a way out. "Doctor, what's that thing?"

He took out a small collapsible telescope and peered in the direction she was pointing.

"Well, you'd better hurry up and think of something. Rocky IV's on its way," Donna said, nudging them both.

"You really are brilliant, my Rose," the Doctor praised his wife. "That's how they arrived... or what's left of it. Escape pod? Prison ship? Gene bank?"

He collapsed the telescope and beamed at her. She smiled back.

"No time like the present to find out?"

Donna shook her head. "But why do they need a volcano? Maybe... it erupts and they launch themselves back in space or something."

"No, it's worse than that," he said darkly, gripping Rose's hand tight.

"How can it be worse?" Donna asked, flinching as a Pyrovile roared.

Rose nudged him gently. "Doctor, it's getting closer."

The angry voice of Lucius Dextrus shouted ahead, "Heathens! Defilers! They would desecrate your temple, my lord gods!"

"Come on!" the Doctor shouted, tugging Rose's hand as he ran.

They ran across the cavern floor, heading for relative safety.

Donna grabbed the Doctor's arm when she noticed they were heading for what they thought was the remains of a ship. "We can't go in!"

Rose felt them jerk to a stop and gestured at the Pyrovile now looming closer. "We can't exactly go back, yeah?!"

"Crush them! Burn them!" Lucius screamed rabidly.

A Pyrovile rose directly in front of them, trapping them for a moment. The Doctor raised the water pistol and squirted the huge creature, which shied away from the sting of liquid and allowed them to keep going.

Lucius taunted them, "There is nowhere to run, Doctor... and Daughter of London. Even the Wolf cannot outrun my Lords!"

The Doctor paused in front of the pod. "Now then, Lucius. My lord Pyrovillian... don't get yourselves in a lava." He glanced at the women by his side. "In a lava... no?"

"No," Donna snapped, looking as though she'd like to beat him for choosing now to joke.

He sighed. "No. But if I might beg the wisdom of the gods before we perish... once this new race of creatures is complete... then what?"

The Pyrovile that had been following them stalked forward, crushing smaller rocks under its massive feet.

"My masters will follow the example of Rome itself, an almighty empire, bestriding the whole of civilization," the seer praised.

"But you've simply crashed... and you've got all the necessary technology, why don't you just go home?" Rose reasoned, hoping to save both the human and Pyrovillian races.

"The heaven of Pyrovillia is gone," Lucius answered shortly.

"What do you mean 'gone'?" the Doctor asked, surprised. "Where's it gone?"

"Like Adipose 3," Rose mumbled.

The man on the cliff waved the hand he had left. "It was taken. Pyrovillia is lost. But there is heat enough in this world for our new species to rise."

Subtly tucking Rose and Donna behind him, the Doctor continued. "Yeah, I should warn you, it's 70% water out there."

"Water can boil and everything will burn, Doctor!" the man shrieked, the ecstasy of his perceived gods' plan driving him wild.

The Doctor slowly put his water pistol away, nodding. "Then the whole planet is at stake. Thank you, that's all I needed to know. Ladies!"

He turned and pushed them both into the pod, slamming the door behind them and sealing it with the sonic screwdriver. He then turned to look at them both.

"Could we be any more trapped?" Donna asked sarcastically. "And this may be the smallest spaceship I've ever seen."

There was a mild roar outside the pod and the temperature began to rise steadily.

"Little bit hot," Rose said with a smile. "Don't suppose you've got a brilliant plan, have you, love?"

He began pointing out things on the console. "See, the energy converted takes the lava, uses the power to create a fusion matrix which wields Pyrovile to human. Now it's complete, they can convert millions."

"Brill for them," his wife groaned. "Not so much for Earth."

"Well, can you change it... with these controls?" Donna asked, absolutely trusting them at that moment.

The Doctor rubbed hands over his face, but it was Rose who answered.

"'Course he can, Donna, but don't you see? That's why the soothsayers can't see the volcano. There is no volcano. Vesuvius is never going to erupt. The Pyrovile are stealing all its power. They're gonna use it to take over the world."

The redhead shook her head, eyes widening as the information sank in. Part of her didn't want to believe it. "But you can change it back."

"Well, I can avert the system, so the volcano will blow them up, yes, but... that's the choice, Donna. It's Pompeii or the world." The Doctor's voice was heavy, sad. It had happened before. The choice of a few or a lot. But the guilt his new companion had been heaping on him… he just didn't know if he could make that decision this time. Would his beloved Rose think he was a monster once she'd actually seen him execute thousands of innocent people?

"Oh my God," Donna whispered in shock.

"If Pompeii is destroyed, then it's not just history, it's me. I make it happen," he murmured.

"It's us, Theta," Rose said, only loud enough for him to hear. Using his nickname had the desired effect and he looked up in surprise. "There is no you or me now, remember? It's us. You ain't in this alone. Never again."

"But the Pyrovile are made of rock. Maybe they can't be blown up," Donna hedged, trying to find another choice.

The Doctor stared into those hazel eyes that calmed him for another moment before moving to work on the machinery. "Vesuvius explodes with the force of 24 nuclear bombs. Nothing can survive it." He brushed two fingers over Rose's cheek before returning to his task. "Certainly not us."

The redhead saw so much in that moment. He knew they would have to do this. And he knew he wasn't going to survive. That was fine. But he knew that this was going to kill Rose… and she knew it. They were silently saying goodbye, because saving the world was more important than either of them. She felt tears burning her eyes. She could be strong. If her death in Pompeii meant that her mother and granddad still had a world to call home… it was worth it. "Never mind us," she said quietly.

The Doctor hesitated and placed a hand on a lever. "Push this lever and it's all over. Twenty thousand people."

Rose felt his intense emotions. Their bond flared in that moment, stronger than it had ever been, and she shoved all the love she had for him into it. With a smile that said she understood and that it was okay, she placed her hand on his.

"I could save the world and lose you," he whispered, his hearts constricting just as they did so long ago when he'd said those words the first time.

"Do it," she whispered, knowing her lines and feeling the same as she did then. It was worth it to save the world.

Donna placed her hand on top of theirs. They knew without looking that she trusted them completely now. With a deep breath from all of them, they pressed down.

The pod jerked and moved, throwing the three occupants around like rag dolls. The Doctor tried to grab Rose and protect her, but there was just too much movement for him to do anything but scream for them to hold on.

It finally stopped, the door bursting off with the impact and they crawled out to find themselves in the market once more.

"It was an escape pod," the Doctor laughed breathlessly. A shaking and roaring noise caught his attention and he turned to see the volcano erupting. Grabbing both Donna and Rose's hands, he burst into a run, nearly dragging them behind.

People around them stood still, staring in horror as smoke, ash and rubble shot into the sky, blotting out the sun and bringing an unnatural night to their city. Soon, the panic set in and they ran screaming, trying to escape this new version of hell that threatened everything.

"Don't! Don't go to the beach! Don't go to the beach, go to the hills! Listen to me! Don't go to the beach, it's not safe! Listen to me...!" Donna called, pulling her hand away, trying desperately to save the people she saw. She saw a little boy crying, alone, and moved to help him. "Come here."

A woman ran forward and snatched the boy into her arms, "Give him to me!"

Tears poured down her face as Donna helplessly watched the devastation until Rose found her hand. "Come on."

The three continue on to Caecilius' villa, where the TARDIS waited. The family huddled together in a corner, trapped by falling debris and absolutely terrified.

"Gods save us, Doctor!" Caecilius cried out, reaching out to them.

The Doctor stopped and stared at the family for a long moment before turning and ducking into the TARDIS. Donna stared in shock and ran in after him, still holding Rose's hand. Once inside, she let go.

"Aeternitas!" Evelina screamed, the sound echoing inside.

"You can't! Doctor, you can't!"

He was focusing on the console, preparing to take them away.

"You can't just leave them!" Donna shouted.

He turned, glaring at her, tears of self loathing standing in his eyes. "Don't you think I've done enough? History's back in place and everyone dies."

"You've got to go back! Doctor, I am telling you, take this thing back! Rose, help me!"

The TARDIS started to dematerialize, the Doctor stone faced while Donna sobbed heavily.

Rose glanced at the time rotor, then at the Doctor, and she moved to his side, placing a hand over his.

"It's not fair," Donna sniffed.

"No, it's not," Rose said, her tone gentle. The Doctor looked at her, his hearts squeezing painfully.

"Can't you understand? If I could go back and save them then I would, but I can't. I can never go back! I can't! I just... can't!" he cried, dropping his head in defeat. "I can't."

Rose touched his face, bringing his eyes to meet hers before kissing him softly. "Just someone. Please. Not the whole town. Just save someone. You and Donna both need this, love."

He stared for a long moment into those hazel eyes he loved so much, then his eyes cut to Donna, wincing at the tears streaming down her face. "I can save just them."

As he reversed the direction of the TARDIS, Rose ran to the door. "I love you, Doctor," she called out.

"I love you, my Rose. Be careful!"

The woman winked, shocking Donna when she saw the golden glow beginning to envelope her. She really did look like a goddess.

She threw open the doors to find the small family huddling away from the falling debris. They looked at her in utter amazement as she held out a hand. Grabbing Evelina's hand, she pulled her to her feet. With a bit of a tug, she pulled the girl, and her family, into the TARDIS.

"Come long, yeah?" she said, her voice echoing just a bit.

Within moments, they were on the hill, overlooking the city, as a cloud of ash and smoke flowed over the rooftops, masking the flow of lava in the streets. Caecilius and his family watched in absolute horror. Behind them, the Doctor, Rose, and Donna stood silently.

"It is never forgotten, Caecilius. Oh time will pass, men will move on, and stories will fade, but one day... Pompeii will be found again... in thousands of years... and everyone will remember you," the Doctor said softly, stepping forward next to the man.

"What about you, Evelina?" Donna asked. "Can you see anything?"

"The visions have gone," the girl said, glancing back shyly. "But I don't need them now. Now that we've seen Aeternitas in her true form."

Rose winced. Perhaps using her abilities to remain safe when stepping out to get them had been a bad idea. Then again… perhaps she ought to stop using those abilities until she figured out exactly what they were.

"The explosion was so powerful, it cracked open a rift in time. Just for a second. That's what gave you the gift of prophecy. It echoed back into the Pyrovillian alternative. But not anymore. You're free," the Doctor explained slowly.

"But tell me... who are you, Doctor... with your words... and your temple containing such size within?" Metella asked, turning to Rose. "And you, my Lady? What's happened to us?"

"Oh, we were never here. Don't tell anyone," he answered cheekily.

Caecilius was still staring at the city. "The great god Vulcan must be enraged. It's so volcanic. It's like some sort of... volcano. All those people..."

His voice broke at the end, and he turned to pull his wife into his arms. Quintus took his sister's hand.

The Doctor and Donna slipped back into the TARDIS, but Rose looked at the family one last time.

"You were given a gift," she said softly, looking at them. "I don't know what's gonna happen in your lives, but I know that you're blessed to have each other. Don't ever let go."

She ducked in and shut the door, the ship dematerializing as she did.

"Thank you," Donna was saying to the Doctor.

"Yeah," he said, looking up at the time rotor for a moment before glancing over at the redhead. "You were right. Sometimes I need someone. Welcome aboard."

Rose walked toward them, looking quiet and troubled.

"Yeah," Donna said, looking at her blonde friend. Somehow, she knew Rose needed some time with the Doctor. "I think I'm going to take a good long shower, and turn in."

Rose smiled at her. "Good night, Donna."

She headed toward her room, the Doctor moving around to pull her into his arms. "I hate when you're in danger. I'm happier when you're safe."

"I can't be safe all the time, love," she said softly. "But I like it better when I'm with you."

He kissed her forehead.

"Doctor, what happens to them? Is there a way to find out?" It wasn't exactly what was bothering her, but he would do anything to make her happy.

Going to the controls, he pulled the monitor down where she could see and he hit some buttons. "Here we are…"

She watched with interest. "Oh, Caecilius got a contract with some Egyptians for his marble work!"

"Yes, and look here, it seems young Quintus became a doctor!"

She smiled and leaned into him. "I suppose he had a fantastic role model for that."

He grinned at her, but it fell when he saw the tears in her eyes. "Rose?"

"I wish…" she trailed off, turning away.

He stopped her, pulling her back. "I know I'm the last person to insist on this, but talk to me."

"I wish I knew how Mum and Mickey were… whether they were happy…" she sighed heavily, a tear escaping her eye and trailing slowly down one cheek.

The Doctor held her close. "I'm so very sorry, my Rose."

She shook her head. "Don't," she ground out. "If I thought for one second I woulda been happier with them than with you, I wouldn't've come back to you. Doctor, I love you. I'm never gonna stop loving you. I miss 'em, yeah, but I'd miss you so much more. I _need_ you."

He kissed her lovingly, amazed at how even when he meant to comfort her, she ended up soothing his tortured soul. "Don't ever leave me, my Rose," he said softly, the vulnerability he only now could show her coming out in his voice. "I can't live without you… not anymore."

"You won't have to," she vowed. "Didn't I tell you forever?"

_A/N: I do apologize for the long wait, and I'm not going to bother telling you I was sick or working or anything like that, because – while true – it doesn't matter! What matters is that we have a chapter now! Please leave a review, because as cheap as it makes me look, reviews do inspire me to get that next chapter out just a bit faster. Hey people, at least I'm honest! And I love you all! Thanks for the continued faith!_


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